Wellbeing
Positive Behaviours for Learning
At SFS, our PBL (Positive behaviours for learning) school wide expectations are:
Respect,
Responsibility and
Kindness
This week the teachers and students focused on revisiting our school learning routines. With all the business of the end of the school year, we have been out of our regular routines.
The teachers have retaught the expectations around behavior when we have special whole school events like our school Christmas carols and end of year mass.
There are no PBL raffle winners this week but a big congratulations to all students at SFS for their efforts this year to demonstrate our school expected behaviours and in showing RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY and KINDNESS.
STUDENT WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH AT SFS in 2024
What an amazing year we have had. We hold the student’s safety and wellbeing always at the forefront of our minds at SFS. We have participated in many initiatives this year to help our students in the development of their wellbeing and to promote a positive message of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all students and members of our wider school community.
Here is a reminder of some of the things we have done this year.
SWELL week: We kicked off the year with SWELL week which a week focus on student wellbeing and building relationships with teachers and students. The children participated in fun getting to know you activities as well as routines to set them selves up for the year. We had a whole school incursion with STOMP where the children learnt fun dance routines, got fit and healthy and strengthened relationships with their classmates. We also had the Twilight welcome picnic where the children performed the dance routines they learnt with STOMP.
We had lots of lunchtime clubs on offer this year including Senior choir, Art club, FIRE CARRIERS, garden grubs, DT club, lego club, Taylor Swift club, Rosary, Minnie Vinnies, Dance club and Bocce.
The children had a weekly PBL lesson where they were explicitly taught social skills and had an opportunity to practice these skills.
I ran SEASONS for growth groups for children who have had experiences of loss or change to help them make sense of the changes and teach them self help strategies to cope with the changes.
In term 2, I started the Mental Health in Primary Schools program training alongside Christine and Angela. Staff have received some professional development throughout the year to help develop their mental health literacy skills and be able to recognise and support students in their homegroup who may be struggling.
We have continued to teach and imbed the Respectful Relationships program through Student Wellbeing and Performing Arts specialist lessons. The aim of the program is break down gender stereotypes and prevent family violence.
We celebrated Harmony Day on Thursday 21st March with a prayer service to celebrate our school’s beautiful multicultural backgrounds and promote respect. The children wore orange or dressed in clothes to represent their cultural background. We have also highlighted the Child safe standards throughout the year and imbedded these into the curriculum. We had a particular focus on Child safe standard 1: Promote culturally safe
environments.
The SRC was established this year to give the students from the Junior and Senior school a chance to have a voice and have a say in some of the decisions to promote positive change at SFS. The students met weekly and were able to action some great changes and have a positive impact on the school.
We celebrated our Specialist day in Term 3 on Thursday 25th July with a whole school special assembly with Digeridoo Australia. The children learnt traditional Aboriginal dances, watched the Digeridoo performance, learnt about the difference between Welcome to country and acknowledgement of country and created a beautiful whole school art piece of Bunjil the Eagle.
Some of the other special days we celebrated and promoted this year included:
- Bully no way week and National day of action against bullying and violence
- R U ok day
- Walk safely to school day
- Twilight market and Art show
- National Child protection week
- Awareness day: World mental health day and World Kindness day
What a busy year we have had. Plans are well under way for SWELL week in 2025 where we will begin the year with a whole school fund day on Tuesday 4th of February with Kaboom Kids coming to run a tabloid sports fun morning of activities. Kaboom kids will be also joining us at our Welcome picnic on Friday 7th February 2025, so mark your calendars!
'Tis the season to be asking R U OK?
Christmas and the holiday season can be a difficult time for some people who struggle with the strain of financial pressure, work demands, current events, grief, or a challenging family situation.
Our Holiday hub contains tips, stories and expert advice to help you check in with people at this time of year. There are also free resources to share and encourage others to do the same.
Happy Christmas and Thank you
Thanks to everyone for your support this year. If you have any concerns about the mental health or wellbeing of your child, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school to see how we might be able to support you and your child.
Wishing you and your families a happy, healthy, safe and blessed Christmas and New year holiday break. To our students and families leaving, I wish you well and thank you for letting me be a part of your SFS journey. To everyone else, I look forward to working with you all to support the Mental health and wellbeing of our students and wider school community in 2025!
Rachel Lenko
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader