Wellbeing

BeYou is an educational resource that promotes the mental health of students, parents and teachers. 

At SFS, we are a BeYou school and mental health has never been more important. 

This week’s fact sheet from the BeYou website is all about Social and Emotional learning. Social and emotional learning (SEL) involves developing the ability to understand and manage our emotions, establish positive relationships, develop empathy for others, set and achieve goals and feel good about ourselves. 

Please see below to read the fact sheet.

The Resilience Project

In Term 1 we have learnt about the key principle of gratitude. Gratitude is all about focusing on what we already have that we are thankful for, instead of worrying about and focusing on the things that we don’t have. 

In term 2 are focus will be on empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s thoughts and feelings from their perspective. 

Brain imaging data shows that being kind to others registers in the brain as more like eating chocolate than like fulfilling an obligation to do what’s right (e.g., eating brussel sprouts)!

Research shows that practicing empathy such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community-based. 

Watch the following video about empathy to help support your kids learning and development, and also support you.

https://theresilienceproject.com.au/parent-and-carer-hub/

Bullying, No way

I have your back

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​While it can be hard to see someone being bullied in person or online, it’s even harder to be the person being bullied.

We can all do something help. We can all be upstanders.

An upstander is a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being bullied.

The Department has come together with Melbourne Football Club, and students from Victorian government schools to send an important message about bullying. 

The message is: ‘I have your back’.

While it can seem daunting, there are safe ways to be an upstander, online and face-to-face.

Watch Melbourne Football Club player Max Gawn talk about how to be an upstander:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/bullystoppers/Pages/ihaveyourback.aspx

Social Skills lunchtime group

On Tuesday, 2nd lunch break I have been running a lunchtime games club outside in the quiet area.

 I have set the large connect 4 games up. It has provided an opportunity for children to come and play, chat, make some new friends and practice social skills like taking turns, playing fairly and conversation skills with others. 

In Term 2 I will run a lunchtime Lego club in Learning space 1 on Tuesdays 2nd lunch break for those children who enjoy lego but who would also like to practice their social skills. 

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy, holy and safe Easter holiday break with your family and friends. I hope you all get a chance to rest, relax, spend time together and recharge the batteries. 

Rachel Lenko

Student Wellbeing Leader