November is Student Wellbeing Month!

We are thrilled to announce that November is Student Wellbeing Month at Newport Lakes! This month-long initiative is a reflection of our commitment to enhancing the mental, physical, and emotional health of our students. By focusing on prevention, response, and continuous improvement, we aim to equip our students with the tools they need to thrive.

Throughout November, we will emphasise the importance of balance in daily life, particularly through three key areas: physical, social, and mental health. Our approach will highlight the benefits of a healthy lifestyle by focusing on:

Self-care: Encouraging students to take care of their bodies and minds.
Diet, Exercise and Sleep: Promoting the essentials of a balanced diet, water consumption, regular exercise, managing screen time and sufficient sleep to support overall well-being.
Screen Time: As part of our focus on balance, we will encourage less ‘screen time and more green time,’ helping students to understand the importance of disconnecting from devices and engaging in outdoor activities and mindfulness.

Throughout the month, we will continue to prioritise wellbeing in a variety of meaningful ways:

10am Fruit/Vegetable Snack Break: Each day, students will have a chance to recharge with a healthy snack, promoting good nutrition and energy levels.
Classroom Circle Time: Weekly Circle Time will give students the opportunity to share, reflect, and discuss their emotions or experiences in a supportive and safe environment.
Opportunities for Wellbeing at Home: We’ll also be sharing some activities from ‘The Resilience Project,’ that you can enjoy at home with your child/children, helping to carry the focus on wellbeing beyond the school setting.
Extended Outdoor Play: As a special treat on one of the Fridays, students will enjoy an extended outdoor play session, with teachers joining in the fun and games, encouraging physical activity and connection.
Mindful Wednesday Mornings: These run weekly at 8:45am in the drama room, with a focus on mindfulness practices to help students begin the day with calm and clarity. These sessions promote emotional regulation and improve concentration, benefiting students' overall well-being and helping them navigate the school day more effectively.
Peer Mediators: This month, we are highlighting and encouraging greater use of our Peer Mediators. Their role is vital in promoting a supportive and positive school culture. By resolving conflicts and fostering empathy and understanding, Peer Mediators help maintain a peaceful environment where everyone feels respected. We want to remind students to turn to them for support when navigating challenges in the yard.

Parent Seminar: Moving Kids from Anxiety to Resilience with Dr Jodi Richardson

We are pleased to invite you to a special parent seminar focused on anxiety and wellbeing, presented by the esteemed Dr. Jodi Richardson. Dr. Richardson is a renowned expert in mental health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on helping children and families navigate the challenges of anxiety. This seminar will provide valuable insights and practical strategies to support our children's mental health, helping to move them from anxiety to resilience.

Event Details:

Topic: Anxiety and Wellbeing - Moving Kids From Anxiety to Resilience
Speaker: Dr. Jodi Richardson
Location: Newport Lakes Primary School MPR (Multi-Purpose Room) 40 Elizabeth Street, Newport 3015
Date: Wednesday 20th of November
Time: 6:30-8:00pm
Cost: $15.00 per ticket - Special Price of $10 for NLPS families! - check Compass for the discount code
Book your tickets - HERE

Our goal for Student Wellbeing Month is to ensure that every student feels happy, connected, purposeful, and empowered to achieve their personal and academic goals. We look forward to celebrating this month together and helping our students continue to grow in a nurturing and supportive environment.

We hope to see you at the seminar with Dr Jodi Richardson, and look forward to a fantastic Wellbeing Month ahead!

Samantha Meddis

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

Safe Socials – For Parents and Carers

Tips and resources for parents, carers and families to support primary school students to be safe when using social media.

Parents and carers play a key role in guiding their children as they navigate the online world and begin to learn through exploration, play and social interaction.

Parents and carers can prepare their primary school aged child to be safe on social media even if they don’t use it yet. You can do this by building good online habits and staying informed about online safety.

You can learn more how to help your child begin their online journey on the eSafety Commissioner’s website.

You can also learn about the range of social media, games, apps and sites in the eSafety Guide, including what all the apps are, their minimum age requirements, how to protect personal information and how to report content within the apps themselves.

Supporting positive and safe online experiences for your child

There are a range of resources available to support you to support your child to have a safe experience online.

The eSafety Commissioner’s website provides:
- eSafety parents page including: information on how to have hard conversations about tricky topics like cyberbullying or seeing pornography.
- webinars to give parents/carers the knowledge, skills and tools to support safe online experiences including supporting primary schools children to understand consent and online boundaries and how to support your child with online gaming.
- family friendly videos and advice sheets in multiple languages to support your family stay safe online, getting started with social media, safer online gaming and getting help when your child is bullied online.
- eSafetykids page with child friendly information you can share with your child including what to do when someone is being mean online, being safe online, sharing photos and personal information online.
Bully Stoppers provides dedicated resources on cybersafety and cyberbullying for primary aged students and a dedicated resource page for parents. You can also access cyberbullying advice sheets for concerned adults through Bully Stoppers.
Alannah and Madeline Foundation provides DigiTalk, an online safety hub for parents. It includes resources on topics such as becoming a screen smart family, navigating online bullying, and choosing, protecting and engaging with games for children.
Raising Children Network provides resources for parents of primary school children on topics like healthy screen time, digital family life, digital play and learning and online safety.

Signs a child or young person might need support

A child’s online activity might have a negative impact on them if they don’t also have a healthy balance of offline activities. Sometimes, your child might show signs that they are having negative online experiences or that they are being bullied.

Your child may not tell you if an online ‘friendship’ or situation has become compromising or difficult. They may feel embarrassed or ashamed, or afraid it might make things worse.

Be alert to changes in your child's behaviour or mood. Watch for signs of withdrawal, anxiety, sadness or changed interactions with family or friends.

Signs can include:

less interest in social activities like meeting friends or playing sport
not doing so well at school
tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches, eye strain
changes in eating patterns
reduced personal hygiene
obsession with particular websites or games
extreme anger when being asked to take a break from online activity
appearing anxious or irritable when away from the computer
becoming withdrawn from friends and family

You can learn more about warning signs of bullying on Bully Stoppers and warning signs of grooming on the eSafety Commissioner’s website.

What to do if your child experiences something unsafe online

There are many ways that parents can raise a concern or get help if there is an incident.

If your child has been involved in an online incident it is important that you work together with your school to provide your child with the support they need. Learn how to help your child after an online incident on the eSafety Commissioner’s website.
You can contact the eSafety commissioner for advice and to report abuse. The eSafety reporting system helps parents of children who experience serious cyberbullying and image-based abuse by working with platforms to have the content removed.
If someone is contacting your child and this contact is unwanted or makes them feel uncomfortable, there are things you can do to help. Read more about child grooming and unwanted contact and what to do on the eSafety Commissioner’s website.
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation provides advice on what to do in instances of image-based abuse online and through Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Where to reach out to for more support for your child

Contact 000 for urgent assistance
Contact the eSafety Commissioner. for advice or to report online abuse
Visit your local GP if you want to talk about mental health support
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 kidshelpline.com.au
Parentline provides a confidential telephone counselling for parents and those who care for children. This including advice on internet use, and online bullying and safety.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 beyondblue.org.au
Talk to your child’s school

Learning Focus