Wellbeing

Open Parachute.

In 2023 Our Lady of Fatima will roll out a new K-6 Personal Development and Health program titled Open Parachute.

Open Parachute aims to provide practical support on mental health to students, teachers and parents.

For students: The program aims to reduce stigma and generate authentic dialogue in classrooms about the real issues students face. The psychological skills-building exercises aim to increase empathy, self-compassion, self-awareness, mental health literacy, and self-efficacy in students. 

For teachers: 

The aim is to provide teachers with fully formed resources that make facilitating mental health discussions in their classrooms straightforward and accessible. program videos provide in-depth psychological knowledge to students, so that teachers are not tasked with the burden of delivering this information. The psychological skills-building exercises, are led by teachers, aim to help teachers deepen relationships with students and understand the issues that prevent students from engaging in their schoolwork and their lives. There is also an online teacher wellbeing program that focuses on practical strategies for understanding and maintaining positive mental health in the teaching profession. 

For parents: 

Videos that are sent home to parents, which aim to boost awareness and psychological skills-building related to mental health issues their children face, while keeping them informed of the wellbeing topics their children are learning in school.

Program theory

The program is built from the bullying research of Dr Watson, Dr Todorov, and Professor Ron Rapee at Macquarie University, which focuses on emotional processing and cognitive reframing as positive coping responses.  The program is based on theories that reveal the strength of peer influence (self-determination theory and Erickson's identity versus role confusion). The program draws on the research of Pennebaker and the use of therapeutic journal writing. It also draws on cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and narrative therapy frameworks, teaching the psychological skills of thought-challenging, perspective-shifting, acceptance of emotions, behaviour change, and relationship skills to students.

The Sebastian Foundation is proud to support this ground-breaking school program at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Primary School. 

We are so grateful to Guy and Jules Sebastian for their generosity. 

Mrs Lisa Mann  | Wellbeing