Welcome back to Term 4! What a busy busy term we have coming up with swimming and production! Plenty of sleep and nutritious food is going to help our students tremendously! Please reach out if you need any support.

Respectful Relationships Education

In conjunction with our Religious Education, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and wider Wellbeing education programs, students will continue to engage in our Respectful Relationships program in Term 4. This program is designed to complement existing school-based programs around building healthy relationships, focusing on respect for one another and strengthening gender equality. It prepares students to face challenges by developing problem-solving skills and building resilience and confidence.

Why do we teach Respectful Relationships?

The 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect to change the story of family violence for future generations. Since that time, Respectful Relationships education has become a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from Foundation to Year 12 and is being taught in all government and Catholic schools and many independent schools.

How do we teach Respectful Relationships?

Respectful Relationships lessons occur fortnightly in the classrooms. To cater for our students, staff work together to discuss our students’ needs and our community context. We look at what children have learned already, and what they might need next to grow in this learning. We refer to the Victorian Curriculum and its key resource alongside our RE curriculum and Catholic faith context. Then we develop a sequence of lessons suitable for each year level. For Term 4 as we introduce our students to the content of Topic 8, teachers ensure that lessons delivered are age-and-stage appropriate, according to the curriculum outline, and we adapt the delivery of material as needed.

What will be taught in Term 4?

The content for Term 4 at St Joseph’s builds on what we have been learning about through this year in Respectful Relationships education. This Term we look at Positive Gender Relations. (See topics listed below). Everybody has a part to play in supporting our children to be safe and to develop respect and resilience for themselves and in relationships with others. RR education is just one way our community supports this. If you have any questions or would like further information, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher, Nick, Lisa or me.

List of Topics for Term 4 at each Year Level:

F/1/2

Discussing the difference between fair and friendly play and play that is ‘too rough’
Discussing how we can share equipment and play spaces
Discussing gender stereotypes such as boys and girls playing certain things
Discussing how we are the boss of our own bodies and personal space bubbles

3/4

Discussing the difference between fair and friendly play and play that is ‘too rough’.
Creating a gender-friendly classroom such as being partners with both girls and boys, girls and boys playing together at playtime
Discussing respectful interactions
Discussing respect for our bodies and personal space

5/6

Discussing what violence is and what is gender-based violence
Discussing the rights and responsibilities of all people
Discussing what respect feels like and looks like
Discussing having a supportive community that respects males and females equally
Discussing how and where we can seek help

We have sought advice from MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools) through the implementation of this topic.

PBL

This week and next week for PBL we have a big focus on displaying 'Respect' in the classroom. The F/1/2 students have been talking about how we can respect ourselves and others. One of the ways we can do that is by keeping our hands and feet to ourselves. To practice this we have been singing lots of songs to remind ourselves!

The Foundations enjoyed making this poster about how we all have 'personal bubbles'.

Upcoming Wellbeing Sessions:

Monday 9th October- The grade 3/4 students will be having a wellbeing incursion run by myself and Bridget Rosenbrock the early and middle years service navigator from Yarra Ranges Council (background in social work and psychology). The aim of the session is to provide an opportunity for students to share how they are doing, reflect on what stressful things can be and learn regulation strategies for their emotional tool belt to use during stressful times. The students receive an opportunity to get creative and design their own emotional regulation grounding stone and receive a regulation affirmation card to take home to support emotional regulation.

Thursday 9th November- The grade 6 students have a session on transitioning to high school. This session is run via Zoom, by Headspace. This session is for students moving into secondary school to prepare them for the changes ahead. The session aims to support students to understand:

how transition and change can impact mental health
understand how to manage stress
build resilience and healthy coping skills
strengthen a sense of connection and belonging

Headspace is also offering online parent sessions.

Foundation 2024 Transition information