Faith & Wellbeing

WELLBEING

At St James our Social and Emotional Learning can be further supported by our Wellbeing interventions offered. Students at times require additional support to establish social skills, managing anxiety or grief related to trauma. Therefore we offer students three additional programs; Social Skills, Peaceful Kids or Seasons for Growth. During Term 1 teachers are encouraged to build relationships and get to know our students better through our “Getting ready to learn” program and through our daily interactions. Therefore we would now like to begin to offer the groups below to students who are not currently receiving any other intervention unless it is deemed that one of the below programs will support the intervention already being received. We do suggest that academic learning goals take priority over the following interventions. If a student is already receiving support in another area perhaps have a chat with the Learning Diversity leader or the staff member offering that intervention before adding them to be considered.

Social Skills

Social skills groups are small groups (typically two to 4 students) led by the Student Wellbeing Leader, School Chaplain or one of our LSO’s. The group aims to teach the students how to interact appropriately with others. They can help students learn conversational skills, friendship, and problem-solving skills.

The 'Peaceful Kids' program is a Mindfulness and Positive Psychology based program to lessen anxiety and stress and increase resilience in children. This program helps children to build their emotional resilience so they are better equipped to deal with the day to day stresses that life brings them. The Peaceful Kids program can be run in schools, organisations, hospitals and in private practice by teachers, wellbeing leaders, counsellors, psychologists, school nurses, chaplains, social workers and wellbeing practitioners.

Seasons for Growth is an innovative, evidence-based change, loss and grief education program that draws on the metaphor of the seasons to understand the experience of grief. It builds the knowledge and skills necessary to strengthen social and emotional wellbeing following significant loss by:

Exploring the impact of change and loss
Learning about effective ways to respond and adapt

Participants learn that they are not alone in their experience of change, loss and grief, and are able to build their communication, decision making and problem solving skills within the context of a safe and supportive peer group learning environment.

All Seasons for Growth programs are grounded in sound, person-centred educational principles.

At the moment Teachers have been asked to consider which students may benefit from the programs as listed above. Parents will receive an Operoo to consent if your child could benefit from taking part in the programs.

Mrs Georgia McNamara

Student Wellbeing Leader

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal

As part of our Social Justice initiatives at St James, we continue to challenge our students to SEE!, THINK!, DO! and REFLECT! on the change they can make in our world

This term the St James Community will once again be supporting the St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal. Each year our community responds to the call to support those in our community that are the most vulnerable.

A donation box will be placed in each classroom starting, Monday 29th June and our wonderful Year 6 Social Justice Leaders will be coming around to each class and sharing the following information with students about what to bring.

Family Faith nights

This Term Prep, Year 1&2 will be celebrating our Faith Nights this term. This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a faith community and begin and continue to build on our faith journey.

Preps in Pyjamas will be held on Tuesday 23rd of May, 5:30pm - 6:30pm in the Prep room.

1/2 Story Night will be held on Tuesday 30th 5:30pm - 6:30pm in the 1/2 rooms. We look forward to seeing families there

SECONDARY ENROLMENTS

If there are any parents that require dates or a letter confirming sacraments, please email eherbert@stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au and I will be able to provide that information for you.

Important Dates

May

Tuesday 23rd - Prep’s in Pyjamas @ 5:30pm in the Prep room

Tuesday 30th - 1/2 Story night @ 5:30pm in the 1/2 room

June

Tuesday 6th - Year 4 First Communion Reflection Evening @ 5:30pm

Friday 23rd - Feast of the Sacred Heart Liturgy @ 10:15am

August

Thursday 10th - Year 4 First Communion Reflection Day

Wednesday 16th - First Communion @ 6pm, St Joan of Arc

October

Tuesday 10th - Year 6 Confirmation Reflection Evening @ 5:30pm