Wellbeing and Engagement
Welcome to the 2022 school year. Welcome back to those returning families and a most warm welcome to all our new families of students across Year 7 to 11. We look forward to working in partnership with you to support your daughter to flourish in all aspects of her life. Our students are the heartbeat of our wonderful school and it has been great to welcome them back over the past week and be one once more.
An important part of the commencement of a new school year is the establishment of new relationships. Our students will have arrived back to find themselves in new classes, among different peers and with new teachers. Central to our approach to learning and wellbeing is the notion that relationships and learning are of equal importance. We understand and acknowledge that learning and wellbeing are inextricably linked, dynamic and personal processes that should be cultivated. Thus, a key focus over the past week has been on providing our students with a range of opportunities to develop connections with their peers and form positive relationships with their teachers so that they experience the joy that comes from belonging to a community.
At Kilbreda, we would like our girls to leave our gates equipped with the skills to thrive in our modern and changing world. We want them to be resilient, have a sense of purpose and meaning in their life, know what their strengths are and how to harness them, to pursue their own goals as well as support others to achieve their goals. At Kilbreda, our aim is to embed wellbeing as a cornerstone to enable your daughter to flourish. To achieve this, in 2022 the College has adopted a positive education approach to promote the wellbeing of our students, staff and the wider community.
A positive education approach combines the principles of Positive Psychology with best teaching practice and is based on the PERMAH model, a research-based framework for wellbeing that has been created by Professor Martin Seligman. The PERMAH framework identifies five core elements of psychological wellbeing – Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment and Kilbreda has adopted a sixth element Positive Health. It is our intention over the course of the year to have a strong community focus on cultivating and nurturing wellbeing that enables individuals to thrive. We will be using a range of mediums to cultivate understanding of the principles of positive psychology amongst our students, staff and families.
The College theme for 2022 is ‘Compassion – Walking with and having empathy for all.’ At our opening school Mass last week, Father Peter Matheson encouraged us to mirror in our lives the love and compassion practised by Jesus. This demands that we honour the sacred dignity of each person and walk with and have empathy for all.
This theme of ‘Compassion’ was also explored with our Year 12 students by Clare Bowditch, Aria award winning musician and author, when she reminded them that they each are extraordinary and the importance of practising self-compassion. She challenged them to consider the stories that they tell themselves, to say good-bye to self-doubt and to pursue the big, fat dreams they have with gusto. This year, students will have opportunities to reflect on and engage with the Kildare Ministries value of Compassion and what this means for them as individuals and in belonging to the Kilbreda College community.
The start of the year is a good opportunity to get some of the basics right, such as wearing the uniform correctly and with pride, treating others well, always demonstrating ‘strength and kindliness’ and being organised and optimistic about learning. We ask parents to support us in relation to the school uniform and to have conversations with their daughter.
Stephanie Smyth
Assistant Principal:
Wellbeing and Engagement