Wellbeing
Womijeka from Stacey (Inclusion Leader)
Transition to 2023
As we move through Term four, students will begin to wrap up in the classrooms, celebrating all of their achievements and beginning to get excited about what is to come next year. Understandably, change can affect children in a range of different ways and for some, change is not always anticipated with excitement. Children can display these emotions in different ways. This may look like; out of the ordinary behaviours, withdrawing or talking about the up coming change and asking a lot of questions. All of which is completely normal. Considering the AMAZING year we have had and settling into our classrooms after a number of disrupted years, we had finally found stability, change may seem daunting.
Below I have outlined ways in which you can support your child this term to begin to prepare them for the upcoming change.
-Begin to talk about the upcoming change; new classroom, new teacher and new peers.
-Reassure your child that they may feel a range of different feelings and that is okay, work with them to identify those feelings (nervous, excited, worried, concerned, eager)
-Reading books about change and emotions (see book list below)
-Encourage your child to talk to their teachers if they have any worries
As always, we encourage a strong partnership between home and school, so if you have any questions about how to support your child through this transition, your classroom teacher and the Wellbeing Team are always happy to help.
Lunch Time Clubs
As another form of exposure to different activities and finding some calm in lunch and recess times, we are offering clubs to students. Clubs will alternate each semester. It is a great opportunity for students who might feel they need to find a quiet space (depending on the club). At times navigating social demands in the yard can become overwhelming for students and clubs is a great supported environment. It allows for students to be exposed to different skills and opportunities that they might not have been otherwise. Each club will have a different skill set that they aim to develop. It can assist students in having some guidance from teachers in interacting with peers if this is the support that they require. They are lots of fun and all students are welcome to attend.
Current club details are outlined below:
Staff | Location | Description |
Libby & Emma | GYM | Free Basketball Play |
Stacey | GYM | Wollert Idol- students have the opportunity to perform/sing for an audience. Students can come to be audience members and sing along. |
Victoria | POD LC | Origami Club - Opportunity to learn a new skill, make something for yourself or somebody else and work those neurons connecting fingers and brain. |
Gabrielle | PASSIVE PLAY | Nature Play -Opportunity to engage in forest school learning components |
Ramona | STEM ROOM | Lego club- invitation to all Junior Students to build/make/create using lego In a spare portable if available. |
Aimee | VEGGIE GARDEN | Gardening Club- Maintaining the Wollert Primary School Veggie Gardens |
Tien, Jackie and Wanda | POD LC Jordan's Room | Textile Club: Creating things from different materials |
Tom | GUMNUT LC | For 3-6 Students to share ideas about how to Make a Difference (M.A.D) eg organising fundraisers and community initiatives. |
Leanne | Dance Club | Dance like no-one is watching with Leanne |
Books help build EMOTIONAL LITERACY
Emotional Literacy and the ability to express emotions using explicit, appropriate language is a challenging task for children (and many adults). Childrens' books are a BRILLIANT way to expose children to emotions and feelings through story in a natural, authentic way. Books become a platform for children and adults to engage in conversations about the way that they feel. It is common for children to be feeling something that they do not have the vocabulary to articulate. This is a fundamental skill within social and emotional pathway we are guiding our students along at Wollert Primary School. Our ultimate goal is for students to be able to find the words to express themselves in the best way they can. This is something you too, can do at home with your child. I have outlined below some great childrens' books that explore different feelings and emotions.
- The invisible String by Patricia Karst
- A book written to support children in dealing with the separation from their carers
- Hey Warrior by Karen Young
- A book outlining the different physical symptoms students might feel when they have anxiety
- The feelings series by Trace Moroney
- This series of books goes into detail about different emotions such as; envy, jealousy, kind, sad, angry, worried, lonely and love.
- Feelings by Richard Jones and Libby Walden
- A book with beautiful illustrations to help visualise and understand the range of different emotions they may feel.
- The Red Beast by Kay Al-Ghani
- A book that describes the feeling of having an inner rage that can be difficult to control, this is book specifically written for a particular audience, however, it is great for all students that are learning to develop their control around emotions