Student  Wellbeing 

Mental Health in Schools

SOGS Social Skills Development Sessions

Dear families, 

We have started our social skills development sessions for this Term. We have been working on the following areas:

• Communication skills
• Friendship skills 
• Positive self-talk 
• Emotional regulation 

Students have had the opportunity to observe, listen, explore and discuss the social skills listed above. They are then encouraged to put their learning into place and try new strategies when they are faced with a social/emotional situation that might be challenging for them. We then follow up and dialogue about What Worked Well (WWW) and Even Better If (EBI) to continue developing these important life-long skills.

Learning about what a good friend looks like and how to still be a good friend even when we argue/disagree.

 Role playing how to ask someone to play and discussing how our body language can change with our emotions. 

Discussing how we can use our personal strengths and skills to overcome social situations that are challenging for us. 

SOGS Mindfulness

Whole school mindfulness is an important part of our Wellbeing program that is embedded at SOGS. We meet as a whole school after every lunch and recess. 

The purpose of the practice of Mindfulness after each play time at SOGS is to:

• Gather as a whole school and to build connection as a faith-filled learning community on a daily basis
• Bring our students into the present moment
• Teach and model mindfulness strategies 
• Create a ‘pause’ between play and learning time
• Ready the brain for learning and move students into the Green Zone after a busy play time.

We follow the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) which includes:

• Mindfulness - In a BSEM classroom, value is placed on opportunities for both students and teachers to incorporate mindfulness strategies that reinforce mind-body connections and that focus  importance on the present moment - the here and now. 
• Mindfulness interventions - addresses student goals of improved attention, concentration, creativity, and self-regulation.
• Mindfulness practices can include:

- sequentially placing attention on parts of the body, known as a ‘body scan’

- focusing attention on breathing

- focusing attention on one or more of the body’s senses

- focusing globally on the body’s sensory and mental experiences

- prayerful meditation

- a reflective practice on a specific scripture, mantra, thought, question, or issue

We encourage you to refer to the Zones of Regulation posters below at home. We use these resources daily in our school environment and children are very familiar with the process.

At home, encourage your child to locate which zone they are in. Ask them to then choose one of the strategies on the coloured posters to help them move back into the Green Zone.