Wellbeing & Diversity 

Emerald Hill Mission

EDUCATION PROGRAM

Emerald Hill Mission assists many families through its Education Program. Students ranging from year 7 to year 12 are provided with new text books, new uniforms and camp fees. This program is available to families holding a Healthcare Card.

By encouraging the disadvantaged youth to undertake secondary education through to year 12, we believe they will enter the workforce or further studies to establish worthwhile careers.

What we do:

1. We will assess your eligibility to enter the program.
2. We then advise you of your acceptance on the program.
3. Contact will be made when Booklists are available in November.
4. Further contact in the New Year to organise the uniform requirements.

What you need to do:

1. Please contact on Ms Corrie Bray on 0411 033 036
2. Make an appointment to meet Corrie. Please bring your Healthcare card.
3. The earlier you call Corrie the easier it is to make an appointment.

Further Information:

1. We expect students to have a minimum attendance record of 80%.
2. Corrie Bray is a qualified social worker and manages the day to day running of the program. The committee manages the expenditure of the program.
3. If you lose your Healthcare Card due to working or a better financial position then you would be expected to look after your ongoing costs.
4. We have many students on the program spread over 24 different schools.

Calm and Centred Classrooms 

Our days have a natural rhythm of up and down, of escalation and de-escalation. As grown adults most of us have learned how to modulate our external and internal rhythms to create a balance within ourselves. The ability to do this is an advanced skill that takes time and practice. Because school students have not had as much practice in this skill, due to their shorter time on the earth thus far, they require some guided assistance to modulate their rhythms and match them with the expectations of the various environments they encounter throughout the day.

Our brains are wired to constantly be scanning what’s going on around us to keep us safe and prepared. Environmental cues provide subtle messages to our brains and nervous system that based on the information provided tell us to either be on alert or allow our bodies to relax. 

If you have had the chance to attend an Open Morning at Galilee,  or work as a classroom helper, you might have noticed a few things. Our classrooms are calm, ordered and predictable. This is done for a number of reasons, it helps de-escalate students, set expectations, alleviate anxiety and prepare for learning.

Somethings you might see in a classroom:

• Dim lighting to create a warm glow
• White noise apps playing rhythmic sounds like ocean waves or rainstorms
• Song that have 80 beats per minute as students enter the room. This is the average resting heart rate of a healthy person and our heart rhythms naturally mirror the rhythms in the environment.
• A classroom calm box that is filled with calming sensory items students can choose from
• The use of Patterned, Repetitive, Rhythmic, Somatosensory Activities such as brain breaks and circle time.

Creating a calm and predictable environment goes a long way to setting students up for success in the classroom. Student engagement and achievement thrive when their classrooms are safe places to learn.