West Beach Primary School

Wellbeing

Wellbeing News

Hello!

My name is Tina Mouzakitis and I am very pleased and grateful to be the Wellbeing Coordinator at West Beach Primary School.

At West Beach Primary School all staff believe that being proactive about supporting and promoting mental health and wellbeing in our students is vital in today’s world and the world of the future. Life has its ups and downs and …. students who are socially and emotionally competent, are better able to navigate through these times with a positive attitude and optimism, therefore feeling happier more often.

 

All staff at West Beach Primary School are dedicated to working together and building a positive community based on respectful relationships and a sense of belonging and inclusion … and as the Wellbeing Coordinator at West Beach Primary School I enjoy working closely with staff and students on wellbeing initiatives. Our school’s strong focus on Positive Education supports our aim - to provide daily opportunities for our students to live each day to the fullest and to flourish.

Research shows that students who flourish in all aspects of their life regularly experience positive emotions, feel engaged in what they are doing, develop and enjoy positive relationships with others, find deeper meaning in their lives and strive to achieve.

At West Beach Primary School, we use The Australian Student Wellbeing Framework to support all students and their families through a systemic whole school approach to wellbeing, with tiers of support that emphasise appropriate early intervention.

 

Programmes and courses taught are:

The Australian Student Wellbeing Framework

Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum

Positive Education and Growth Mindset

Growing with Gratitude

Restorative Practice

Bounce Back (Resilience and social emotional learning)

 

Interoception Program (Interoception is a pre‐requisite skill for self‐management and self‐regulation. It provides the tools to know when we are developing emotional reactions and the skills to be in control of those reactions.)

 

When we partner closely with families and the community we are best positioned to support children's wellbeing. Your thoughts, perspectives and feedback are always welcome and we encourage you to get in touch with us if you’d like to talk about our wellbeing priorities.

I’m available to meet with parents and caregivers on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays. You can get in touch with me by phoning the Front Office on 83567930 or emailing Tina.Mouzakitis552@schools.sa.edu.au. Our Pastoral Care Worker, Cathy Turner, is available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. She can be contacted by emailing Cathy.Turner255@schools.sa.edu.au.

Pastoral Care Worker

Hello!

My name is Cathy Turner and I am the Pastoral Care Worker here at West Beach Primary School.

This year I am at the school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, working with Tina Mouzakitis in the Wellbeing Room. My role is to care for staff, students and families with a focus for 2020 on social and emotional support. This can be through many avenues such as one on one catch-ups, classroom support, celebrating birthdays and special occasions, organised groups (for example Seasons for Growth - our grief and loss program), doing interoception activities with the children and generally helping out wherever I can.

I also run craft/games/lego activities in the library on Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtimes to provide an alternative play space and to get to know the children better. As the year goes on, we will look again at running specialised groups such as knitting, cooking, Lego Masters, card making and chess.

I look forward to meeting more of you during the year.

  • Cathy

Kimochis

In our Junior Primary classes, we are using Kimochis (which means ‘feelings’ in Japanese) to build emotional intelligence. The Kimochi characters include Clover, Huggtopus, Cloud, Bug, Cat, Lovey Dove and Bella Rose (pictured below). The characters each have a special pocket where they store their Kimochis (small pillows with a feeling printed on one side, and a corresponding facial expression on the other). We use the Kimochi characters and feeling pillows to help children get in touch with their emotions in a fun and comfortable way through puppetry and play. They help to build connection, encourage communication, create a safe and fun environment for conversation and play, and enable children to practice communicating their feelings with family and friends. When kids are comfortable talking about their feelings, they build self-esteem, character and confidence!