Wellbeing
Lindsey Delooze - Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Disability Inclusion
Melanie Irons - Assistant Principal - Curriculum, Engagement and Wellbeing
Tom Penberthy - Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator
Week 5
What a wonderful couple of weeks we have had. The wellbeing team have been lucky enough to have different members attend both the Year 2 and Year 3 camps. It has been so lovely to spend some time with the students outside of school in a different environment. Thanks go to all the staff, volunteer parents and children who attended both camps for all the hard work and fun that was had!
National Day of Action Against Bullying
Friday 18 August 1 is National Day of Action Against Bullying. In the week leading up to this day, all students will be engaging in lessons about what bullying is and how we all can help to create safe and inclusive environments that prevent bullying.
The national definition of bullying for Australian schools says:
Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.
Bullying can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious and overt or hidden. Bullying behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying.
Research has shown that students' peers are present as onlookers in 85% of bullying interactions, and play a central role in the bullying process. It has been found that the most effective way to address and prevent bullying in schools is to consider both the individuals directly involved in instances of bullying in addition to the bystanders and broader school climate. The explicit teaching of positive school values to students has been shown to promote a positive school climate, which in turn is related to lower levels of bullying. This is one of the reasons for our introduction of School Wide Positive Behaviours, with a focus on explicit teaching of our values and a fortnightly focus on a different behaviour linked to each value. This term's focus on our value of inclusion, and in particular this fortnight's behaviour of 'Being an upstander', are crucial to creating a safe and inclusive environment as students who have a clear understanding of what bullying is, what it looks like, and how it effects students are more likely to refrain from bullying and to take action to stop it when they see it.
School Wide Positive Behaviour Support
Current Whole School Behaviour Focus - Being an Upstander
This week we have introduced our next behaviour focus: ‘Being an Upstander’ as part of our focus on the value of inclusion this term. Students have been learning about what it means to be an upstander - a person who speaks up and acts to support another person or cause. They have also been learning about what is means to be a bystander. Students are learning about different ways they can safely be an upstander, from more overt actions like speaking up when they see someone being mistreated, to more subtle, but still effective actions like telling an adult if they see someone being mistreated or checking in on someone if they see them being mistreated.
Students and Wembley staff are watching for examples of students being upstanders and recording a nomination for these students. If your child comes home with an orange inclusion stamp, be sure to ask them what they did to earn this stamp.
A number of Wembley students have helped contribute to a video showing the different ways we can all be upstanders. This video has been shared with all students so they can practise being upstanders.
Previous Whole School Behaviour Focus - Cooperating
Over the previous two weeks, students have been learning about the behaviour of 'Cooperating' as part of our value of inclusion. In every class, students engaged in lessons about 'Cooperating. As part of these lessons, they looked at scenarios where they could practise cooperation. They also read books where characters showed cooperation and inclusion. Students were also given stamps and nominated for our Wembley Values Award when they were seen cooperating. We are thrilled to share that there were over 250 nominations in the last fortnight for students modelling our value of inclusion and, in particular, our behaviour of 'cooperating'. We are so proud to see so many Wembley students demonstrating these behaviours as we continue to learn together about how we can all be more inclusive.
Wembley Values Award Winners
Thank you to all the students who nominated their peers for our Wembley Values Award. It was wonderful to read about all the great ways students have been showing inclusion by cooperating. Congratulations to each of the students, listed below, who won the Wembley Values Award last week.
Inclusion: Cooperating | ||
|---|---|---|
| Prep | Audrey P | For showing our value of Inclusion by 'Cooperating' when you included someone else in your game. |
| Year 1 | Miller K | For showing our value of Inclusion by 'Cooperating' when another student asked you if he could join in and you said, “Yes!” |
| Year 2 | Isla O | For showing our value of Inclusion by ‘Cooperating’ when you helped another student and worked together to find their toy. |
| Year 3 | Luca M-R | For showing our value of Inclusion by ‘Cooperating' all the time. No matter who wants to play with you in the yard, you always cooperate with others and let them play and you say nice things. |
| Year 4 | Dillon B | For showing our value of Inclusion by 'Cooperating' when another student had nothing to play and you invited them into your game and compromised. |
| Year 5 | Tyler T | For showing our value of Inclusion by 'Cooperating' when another student was struggling with their work and you cooperated and worked with them so they could get it done. |
| Year 6 | Matilda R | For showing our value of Inclusion by 'Cooperating’ when you worked together with your footy teammates and made sure everyone felt supported and happy. |
Art Therapy
Last week, Heshanthi Munasinha, began her 12 week placement at Wembley as an Arts Therapist. Arts Therapy combines art with counselling practices to support the mental health and wellbeing of participants. Heshanthi has been working with small groups of students on topics including:
• Resilience
• Empowerment and Personal Strengths
• Controlling strong emotions
• Emotional Literacy and Expression
• Calming and Kindness
The feedback from students so far has been very positive and they are all excited to have Heshanthi back this week.
If you would like further information or have any other questions then please reach out to Tom Penberthy (thomas.penberthy@education.vic.gov.au)
Breakfast Club
Breakfast club continues to run Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the eating area 8.30 - 8.55am.
Messy Monkeys are back in stock! They were hugely popular this morning so make sure your children get in quick each day if they want some!
Wellbeing Dogs
River is back in school on Wednesdays, after having a few weeks absent from school. River has been having some seizures and is therefore now on medication and feeling much better. She will be spending most of the time in the admin building at school and children will be brought to spend time with her there when needed.
