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:

Click here for more information

https://www.eastdonsc.vic.edu.au/wellbeing-engagement-positive-futures

Positive Impact Project

Getting your hands dirty in 8E is not a problem. A 6-week long construction project culminated in an all-in ‘weed fest’ in the last week of Term 3. 8E students all contributed to the production of 10 weeding forks that will remain available to all Positive Futures classes at EDSC who would like to help beautify our school in the removal of environmental weeds.

The project began with shaping the fork heads using metalworking tools, creating handles using planes and lots of sanding, drilling holes in the handles to fit the shafts and oiling the handles to make them suitable for wet, garden work.

In addition, students designed and built a sturdy storage box (which they decorated) with two handles so that the gardening forks can be transported safely and efficiently. 8E Positive Futures students approached this task with tenacity and a strong team ethic.

Thanks to Brad Bentley from Leone Constructions for providing some scrap 12mm steel reinforcing that was used for the weeding fork shafts.

The students spent their last Positive Futures period of Term 3 ‘testing’ their products at a number of weedy sites in the school. When quizzed on the effectiveness of their tools, one student stated that ‘they work well but it’s actually easier to weed with your hands!’

If any Positive Futures teams are interested in loaning out the weeding forks, please contact Tom Martin in the Product Design Faculty.

Tom Martin

Technology Teacher

12A Positive Futures Community Action Project

During Term 3, the students from 12A planned and implemented their Positive Futures Community Action Project. The students were interested in supporting the students from the English Language Centre (ELC) who had recently arrived in Australia to commence their studies at EDSC. Given their own experiences in settling into secondary school and in some cases, a new country, the 12A students felt well placed to provide advice, answer questions and build positive relationships.

Initially the 12A students developed a survey for the ELC students to complete, which helped them to understand more about their interests, background and future goals. Using the information from the survey, they then prepared a Positive Futures lesson during which the students shared morning tea and played some games.

In a follow up Positive Futures lesson, the students got together for a Q&A session. This supported the ELC students to develop confidence in asking questions on a range of topics related to subjects, school processes and protocols, the VCE, and living in Australia.

The ELC students provided feedback on the Community Action Project;

“We had lots of food” - Doris

“We got to know each other” - Minerva

“Everyone was friendly” - Katie

“The year 12 students were very friendly” - Peter

“We had poached meat which was brilliant, wonderful and amazing” - Felix

“Everyone was open to each other” - Saif

“The atmosphere was good” - John

“We enjoyed being a community and playing games together” - Joy

“I learnt a new game” - Athena

“I had a new experience” - Cathy