Mental Health And Wellbeing

Our school is now in the second year of partnering with The Resilience Project (TRP).

TRP doesn’t just focus on students; it also actively engages parents and carers. Why? Because wellbeing doesn’t stop at the school gate. When families are involved, the positive effects ripple far and wide, strengthening the vital connection between school and home. Research consistently shows that a strong school–home partnership plays a crucial role in boosting both academic success and student wellbeing. In fact, parental engagement is closely linked to improvements in school attendance, social-emotional development, and overall behaviour. Here at Murrumbeena Primary School our parent-school relationships are strong , making our school a place where wellbeing thrives, and every student has the support they need to flourish.

We’re excited to invite you to explore the ‘Inspire Parent/Carer Hub’ a vibrant online space created to keep families actively engaged in our wellbeing journey. The Hub is filled with practical, inspiring content centred around the core principles of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness, and Emotional Literacy—the foundations of emotional wellbeing. You'll find insights into why these values matter, along with simple, meaningful ways to weave them into everyday family life. From conversation starters to fun, hands-on activities, the Hub offers tools to help nurture a positive mindset and strengthen family connections. Take a moment to explore the Hub and discover how small daily practices can lead to lasting wellbeing.

GEM Chats

At school, teachers regularly engage students in GEM chats, conversations centred around Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness, with the addition of Emotional Literacy (EL). The prompts and questions are designed to spark meaningful reflection and dialogue, helping students become more aware of their own wellbeing habits.

GEM chats create powerful opportunities to strengthen relationships across the school community. Whether led by a classroom teacher or another member of staff, these conversations foster connection, compassion, and a shared language of wellbeing that benefits everyone involved.

Teachers use GEM chats in a variety of ways, including:

As a question when marking the roll.
As a ‘do now’ activity when students come into the classroom or walk into assembly.
During circle time or morning check in.
When walking to different classrooms (specialist teachers).
When greeting or farewelling students and parents/carers at the gate.
Projected on the screen when parents/carers pick up students at the end of the day.
As an exit slip before students leave the classroom.
Some year levels have decided to include GEM chat ideas for the family in the year level memo, newsfeed or homework. But why wait? Your family can choose a question to discuss and practice daily over a week then choose a new question for the week after. Here are some examples:-
What is something you are looking forward to tomorrow?
Who is someone you are grateful for today?
What was your biggest achievement at school this week?
What moment or event stands out to you as a highlight this week/month?
What is one of your happiest moments this week?
What are 3 things you feel grateful for at this moment?
What is something at home you are grateful for?

Examples of GEM chats

You can read more about The Resilience Project on our school website or refer to the Parent FAQ sheet.

Fiona Sewell

Assistant Principal