Wellbeing & Engagement 

RAFT (Rangeview Fathering Tribe)

Last night, we held a very well attended Parents & Friends Mixer at Heatherdale Pavilion. Our P&F Committee do an incredible job supporting our school through the organisation of many events and substantial fundraising opportunities. Please consider joining!

In addition to our P&F Committee, we also have a group specifically for dads and father figures. Over the past 2-3 years, we have been affiliated with The Fathering Project (TFP). TFP was created in 2013 by Professor Bruce Robinson, with the aim of supporting fathers, and father figures, to be the best parent they can be so their children can thrive. 

This year, after leadership discussions, our Rangeview Fathers Group will branch off from TFP and become our own entity - known as 'RAFT' - Rangeview Fathering Tribe. The acronym was very carefully selected by the RAFT leaders (many different terms were considered!) - 'Fathering' is a term more inclusive than just 'dads' or 'fathers'; it represents the wider group of male role models in children's lives. 'Tribe' is a strong, collective noun for our community-centred and values driven approach at Rangeview.

We are very excited for this shift as we have some amazingly dedicated dads taking charge and leading the way for the group. It is a pleasure to share that Simon Tan will continue in his role leading the group, along with two fantastic new additions to the leadership team - Tim Kirke and Byron Wilding. We are very fortunate and thankful these three dads are willing to invest time into the school and work with us to provide opportunities for dads and father figures to get together, share experiences and ideas, and spend some quality time with their children.

For all the dads and father figures out there, if you were unable to attend the P&F mixer last night, please scan the QR Code here to register your interest. We strongly encourage you to sign up and get involved! 

Term 1 Working Bee

Staff Professional Learning - Berry Street

A reminder that next Friday March 1st is a student-free day. Our whole staff group will be undertaking valuable professional learning focused on the Berry Street Educational Model. This approach promotes evidence-based, trauma-informed practices. These practices have proven to benefit all students. Our staff are very excited about the opportunity to explore this learning and implement some new ideas across the school.

Classroom Wellbeing Kits

As a school, we are constantly working towards inclusive practices. The ability to access learning and education can look very different from one child to the next - in fact, current evidence shows that approximately 1 in 5 students are neurodiverse, which means 5-6 students per classroom. We all learn differently, and we are striving to ensure we cater for these different needs.

We are very pleased to be able to offer 'Wellbeing Kits' to all classroom spaces this year. This is a new addition to the school that will be rolled out early next week, providing students who require items such as sensory tools the opportunity to access them anytime they need. Teachers will be discussing these Wellbeing Kits with classes to ensure all students understand their purpose and guidelines of use. We do not see these items as 'toys' to be freely played with at anytime - they are an essential component to learning for many students, allowing them to focus, concentrate and self-regulate when needed.

A huge thank you to our School, Voice, Wellbeing and Curriculum Captains for assisting us in putting all of these Wellbeing Kits together!

The Resilience Project 

Our students continue to learn about wellbeing through The Resilience Project lessons. Visiting classrooms and witnessing deep conversations about Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness has been a real joy over the past fortnight. Students participated in 'Random Acts of Kindness' week and I was so impressed with the small gestures of kindness they displayed towards others. 

This is a mindset we would love to see continue, so please chat about this at home and model kindness to your children. Research has shown that putting others first - and doing kind things for others - can significantly increase your own levels of life satisfaction and happiness.

Liam Sommers

Assistant Principal

Wellbeing and Engagement