Positive Futures News

What is the EDSC Positive Futures program?

Positive Education brings together the science of positive psychology with best-practice teaching.

The school’s journey with Positive Education began in 2012 with Positive Education focuses and values implemented across each year level and over time has evolved into the whole school approach launched in 2020. 

Our Positive Futures program has some very clear goals:

• We want to improve student quality of life and their engagement with others, including with their teachers
• We seek to develop students in a more holistic way, with a stronger focus on wellbeing

There are six tenets of Positive Psychology that are embedded into our model:

Positive Health – Positive Self

Developing knowledge, understanding and skills to promote health and well – being.

Positive Relationships

Nurturing positive relationships based on respect. 

Accomplishment

Generating hope and optimism through the accomplishment of personal and community goals

Positive Emotion

Building and experiencing positive emotion. 

Meaning

Believing in serving something greater than ourselves.

Positive Engagement

Developing critical thinkers by promoting challenge, curiosity and creativity. 

More resources and information can be found here:

https://www.eastdonsc.vic.edu.au/wellbeing-engagement-positive-futures

Term 4 update

We started off the term with some great activities, particularly our Year 12 Carnivale day run by the Year 7s. The Year 12s were treated to a range of Minute to Win It activities and given letters of good tidings for their studies and exams written by students from all year levels at the College. It was a wonderful activity – Thank you to the teachers and students in the Year 7 classes who participated in this event. 

We will have a couple of sessions with our students during Advance Week and also with our 2023 Year 7 students on Orientation Day. 

Positive Futures Book of the Week  

Stop comparing yourself to others—you’re special just as you are! In this fun, practical guide, you’ll learn how to silence your nit-picky inner critic, cultivate self-compassion, and discover what really matters to you.

If you’re like many teens, you probably feel pressured to live up to the impossible standards set by our culture, the media, and even by your peers. After all, everyone wants perfect hair, a perfect body, cool friends, and good grades. But while it’s okay to strive to be your best, it’s also easy to get caught up in a never-ending comparison game that can feed your inner critic and rob you of your happiness. So, how can you break free from negative self-criticism and learn to appreciate your strengths?

In Just As You Are, psychologist Michelle Skeen and her daughter, Kelly Skeen, offer simple tips to help you overcome feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, stop comparing yourself to others, and be more open and accepting of all aspects of who you are. You’ll also learn how to be more aware of your thoughts and feelings in the moment using powerful mindfulness tools, and build a plan of action for the future based on your values.

Sometimes it’s hard to see yourself with clarity and kindness. With this important guide, you’ll learn to move past your faults, celebrate your true strengths, and discover what really matters in your life. What are you waiting for?

Rebecca James

Student Engagement & Connection

Learning Specialist