Wellbeing News

Woof woof! A message from Ziggy 🐾

Hello everyone!

It’s me, Ziggy, your therapy dog, and I have some very exciting news to share…I’ll be back at school in Term 1 and Term 3, 2026!

I can’t wait to see all your smiling faces again, get lots of gentle pats, and help make your days a little calmer and happier. My job is to help students feel relaxed, supported, and safe and I take my work very seriously (especially when treats are involved!).

When I’m at school, I’ll be visiting classrooms, spending time with students who need some extra comfort, and reminding everyone that sometimes the best thing for our wellbeing is a quiet moment, a deep breath, and a furry friend by your side.

Until then, keep being kind to yourselves and each other. I’ll be counting down the days with wagging tail!

Merry Christmas!

See you soon,Ziggy 🐶💙

Miss Paglianiti & Miss Tara 

Goodbye from SEL 

As we wrap up our final SEL sessions for the year, each cohort enjoyed meaningful, fun and reflective activities that brought together everything we have explored about community, teamwork and wellbeing.

Prep: Our youngest legends explored the concept of being a “real-life superhero.” We identified the positive qualities that make them a good human: friendship, bravery, kindness, and helping others. It was a beautiful way to finish the year by recognising their own strengths.

Grade 1/2:The 1/2s wrapped up their continued learning on friendship and teamwork, and problem solving issues on the yard. We revisited what makes a good friend and practised how we can work together cooperatively in games and everyday classroom situations.

Grade 3/4: With camp just around the corner, the 3/4s focused on teamwork, resilience and emotional readiness. Students worked in groups to balance “gold nugget” pompoms into buckets, choosing whether to gather new nuggets or strategically “steal” from another team, lots of laughter and clever planning! Afterwards, we shared our “excitement mountain,” discussing the golden things we’re looking forward to at camp, and placed any worries into our “waterfall of worries” to help let them go.

Grade 5: The Grade 5s took a moment to reflect deeply on their growth. They wrote beautiful time-capsule letters to their future selves, which will be opened in December 4th 2026 before they graduate. Their letters included predictions, personal goals, and hopes for their final year of primary school. I think the relisation set in that they only have 1 year left and hopefully we can make it a really wonderful one. 

Grade 6: Our soon to be graduates faced a real-world independence challenge using the PTV app. We worked through train-travel scenarios such as what to do if a service skips stations, how long it takes to travel from Yarraville to Flinders Street, or how to problem-solve if a train is delayed. We wrapped up the session with a confidence-boosting challenge cracking those pesky school locks!

It has been an absolute joy teaching the SEL program this year, especially as we were testing the waters to see how Social and Emotional Learning fits within St Augustine’s and ties in with our Respectful Relationships framework. We’ve found that the program brings so many benefits, a blend of practical life skills, emotional regulation, open talking and a safe, fun environment for the students to learn about themselves and others.

We have truly loved the opportunity working with every class, tailoring sessions to real-life situations that have popped up in the yard and developmental needs across year levels. Wellbeing, inclusivity and health have always been a passion of ours, and it has been incredibly rewarding to bring that passion into our school community. Thank you for welcoming SEL so positively this year; it has been amazing to teach and we are so proud of what our students have achieved. We look forward to 2026s program!! 

Miss Jess and Miss Tara :) 

Important Information for Parents about NCCD

Please read the attached document if you have a child currently receiving NCCD funding or may be eligible to receive funding due to being recently diagnosed with a disability.

Berry Street Welcome Circles – Building Connection and Routine

After our insightful staff PD with Berry Street, we have taken our new learnt knowledge back into our classrooms for the start the day with a  Welcome Circle – a powerful practice designed to foster connection, set a positive tone, and create a sense of belonging for every student. While the structure may vary slightly from class to class, the key components remain the same: greeting each other warmly, discussing our targeted values and class expectations, reviewing the day’s schedule, and ending with a quick, positive primer game to energize and engage. These circles not only help students feel seen and valued but also set them up for a successful day of learning. Ask your child about their favourite part of the Welcome Circle – it’s a great way to stay connected to their school day!