Positive Futures News
What is the EDSC Positive Futures program?
Positive Education brings together the science of positive psychology with best-practice teaching.
The school’s journey with Positive Education began in 2012 with Positive Education focuses and values implemented across each year level and over time has evolved into the whole school approach launched in 2020.
Our Positive Futures program has some very clear goals:
- We want to improve student quality of life and their engagement with others, including with their teachers
- We seek to develop students in a more holistic way, with a stronger focus on wellbeing
There are six tenets of Positive Psychology that are embedded into our model:
Positive Health – Positive Self
Developing knowledge, understanding and skills to promote health and well – being.
Positive Relationships
Nurturing positive relationships based on respect.
Accomplishment
Generating hope and optimism through the accomplishment of personal and community goals
Positive Emotion
Building and experiencing positive emotion.
Meaning
Believing in serving something greater than ourselves.
Positive Engagement
Developing critical thinkers by promoting challenge, curiosity and creativity.
More resources and information can be found here:
https://www.eastdonsc.vic.edu.au/wellbeing-engagement-positive-futures
Temporary Restructure of Positive Futures
Due to current COVID restrictions and trying to limit mixing of year level groups we will continue with our year level based Positive Futures classes for the rest of the term.
The topics we have covered in the class have been National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, International Women’s Day, Motivation and Harmony Week.
It has been great to see many students embrace the themes we have covered and demonstrating a positive attitude towards the program itself.
Here are some links to videos we have been using in the classes:
Be Kind Online
The Be Kind Online animated series encourages young people to block content, report it, and support each other if they see or experience bullying online.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-WBhx6n0hE&list=PL8UeNKK-858eh8ruaON9PnKM-vNgmufww&index=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iA17Exw9FM&list=PL8UeNKK-858eh8ruaON9PnKM-vNgmufww&index=3
“What if men and women switched for a day?” video:
https://www.facebook.com/JungleVT/videos/2455688611239633/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2YtEIKlVFM – What is Harmony Day
Hopefully next newsletter we will have some more photos and anecdotes to share with our school community.
Positive Futures Book of the Week
A simple, positive, practical toolkit for better mental health, from clinical psychologist and TikTok star Dr Julie Smith
Drawing on her years of experience as a clinical psychologist, Dr Julie Smith's first book is a must-have handbook for instantly better mental health.
Filled with secrets from the therapy room, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? offers simple advice, effective strategies and powerful coping techniques to help readers stay positive and resilient no matter what life throws their way.
Written in short, bite-sized entries, in Dr Julie's warm and informal style, a reader can turn straight to the appropriate section depending on the challenge being faced - and immediately find tools to help. From managing anxiety, dealing with criticism or battling low mood, to building self-confidence, finding motivation or learning to forgive yourself, and much more, this book tackles everyday issues that affect us all and offers easy, practical solutions that might just change your life.
Rebecca James
Student Engagement and Connection Learning Specialist