Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator

Relationships and Relationship based Education (RbE)

“Relationships are the number one predictor of a long and happy life.” Donna Cross

Dear Families,

Last Friday we held a curriculum day for whole staff professional learning and had John Hendry work with us for the day. He has been in the field of education for many years, and also works with Parents Victoria. Our day together with John was extremely insightful and will help us all to take another positive move forward. I have received nothing but positive feedback from staff and we were all captivated by his stories and insights. Over the next few weeks, staff will spend time together to plan how we will start to implement what we learnt from John. 

John talked about the five key elements of a relationship: trust, forgiveness, integrity, hope, and compassion. I will discuss these five elements in more detail over the next few weeks. Here are some words from John…

“The basic elements of a quality relationship are trust, forgiveness, integrity, hope (optimism), and compassion. Each of these are important individually, but in concert they substantiate the relationship.  Each is established upon “giving” for without giving, none authentically function.”

“Quality relationships are established upon contribution, giving.  The relationship has value added to it by each partner giving to the relationship. When relationships are established upon taking rather than giving then value is subtracted from the relationship, and each party, and the relationship is diminished.  Giving enables trust, forgiveness, integrity, hope and compassion to work in concert to appreciate the relationship. Taking disables each of these and depreciates the relationship.”

John will be running a parent workshop late term two and I am hopeful that this can be done in person. John and I will also be running student workshops about relationships, and we will also have a combined parent and staff workshop. Please keep an eye on our communications for more details.

“If we get our relationships right, everything else falls into line.” John Hendry OAM

Please continue to enjoy your relationships with your family. 

Andy McNeilly

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator