Student Wellbeing
Student Wellbeing
At Saint Patrick’s School we are committed to supporting the development of all members of our school community by providing equitable access and opportunity for all. Inclusive practices embrace and celebrate diversity, promote engagement, invite belonging and provide opportunities for participation and achievement of appropriate learning outcomes for all in our community. Our wellbeing initiatives are reflected in many aspects of school life such as through our school’s vision, high quality learning and teaching, student engagement, our religious education program, wellbeing services, policies and community partnerships.
Developing the wellbeing of our students is central to our whole school philosophy. At Saint Patrick’s we strive to promote a healthy, supportive and secure environment for all enabling the development of strong social and emotional skills. We endeavour to build student connectedness to school, raise awareness of what makes students resilient, develop strategies to reduce vulnerabilities, and to increase important life skills. We believe student wellbeing is pivotal to success at school and in our children’s future lives.
Research shows wellbeing programs encourage;
· increased academic competence
· improved attention and study skills
· reduced anxiety
· a sense of connectedness with the school and community
· lifelong learning
· students ability to deal with life’s challenges
· the development of the whole person (spiritually, intellectually, morally, physically, socially and emotionally).
Our curriculum is designed to provide for the needs of individual students and cater for different learning styles and profiles. We provide programs and structures that support wellbeing and provide staff with professional development.
Examples of Saint Patrick’s Wellbeing Programs are:
Berry Street Program
- SWELL Start for a SWELL Term
Whole school values program to foster social and emotional learning which underpin the curriculum (dispositions)
Restorative Practices
Circle Time
G.A.T.E ways
Pre & Post testing schedules
Levelled Literacy Intervention
Library Club
Personalised Learning Plans
Program Support Group Meetings
Support from CEM Staff
Seasons Program
Better Buddy Program
Drug Education
eSmart program
Anti-bullying
Behaviour Support Programs
School Psychologist
Leadership
Social and Emotional
At Saint Patrick’s our Social Emotional Learning program is based on the Victorian Curriculum Capabilities, KidsMatter and the Berry Street Education Model.
Berry Street
Over a two year curriculum cycle we are focussing on gratitude, self-regulation, love, persistence, hope and optimism, zest and vitality, social intelligence and empathy.
Benefits of Saint Patrick’s SEL Program
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Increased academic competence
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Increased motivation to learn
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Reduced anxiety
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Improved attention
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Improved study skills
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Increased commitment to school and the time devoted to school work
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Improved school attendance
http://www.childhoodinstitute.org.au/educationmodel.
KidsMatter
KidsMatter Primary is a mental health and wellbeing framework for primary schools and has been proven to make a positive difference to the lives of Australian children. KidsMatter provides the methods, tools and support to help schools work with parents and carers, health services and the wider community, to nurture happy, balanced kids.
KidsMatter focusses on building a positive school community; one that is founded on respectful relationships and a sense of belonging and inclusion, and that promotes:
social and emotional learning, working authentically with parents, carers and families and provides support for students who may be experiencing mental health difficulties.
Want to know more? Please click on the link below
https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/.
eSmart
Our school is a registered eSmart school. An eSmart school is a school where the smart, safe and responsible use of information and communications technology is the cultural norm. Students, teachers and the wider school community are equipped to embrace the best these technologies can offer, while being savvy about the pitfalls. Being eSmart helps teachers, students and the whole school community embrace the benefits of technology and reduce our exposure to cyberspace risks such as cyberbullying, identity theft, online predation and accessing or sending inappropriate images and content.
The eSmart Framework is organised into six domains:
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Effective school organisation
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School plans, policies and procedures
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A respectful and caring school community
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Effective teacher practices
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An eSmart curriculum
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Partnerships with parents and local communities
eSmart is an initiative of The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, a national charity committed to protecting children from violence. Our work towards achieving eSmart status involves the whole school community, integrating cybersafety into our wellbeing policies, establishing clear procedures to deal with incidents, and delivering curriculum around the smart, safe and responsible use of technology.
Want to know more? Please click on the link belowhttps://www.esmart.org.au/.
Student Leadership
Student leadership at Saint Patrick’s School provides a range of experiences for individuals and groups of students to develop leadership qualities. Student leadership activities link strongly with the school vision statement, learning about citizenship and democracy while being closely linked to the curriculum. Therefore opportunities for student leadership provide a forum for student modelling of gospel values, involvement in stewardship and active citizenship. St Patrick’s staff will guide and encourage students to build the understandings and skills of leadership through the many and varied activities of our school life. In this way students develop their individual capacity to lead and influence others in a responsible manner. Additionally, the leadership program provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their talents, skills, passions and interests. It encourages students to take responsibility for their actions while generating positive social change within the local and the global community.
Restorative Practices
Restorative Practices is a whole school approach to promoting resilience and the building of positive relationships in the school community. At Saint Patrick’s School we focus on helping young people to become aware of the impact of their behaviour on others through personal accountability and learning from a conflict situations. After an incident there is a focus on restoring relationships between students, helping young people become aware of the impact of their behaviour on others through personal accountability and being open to learning from conflict.
Examples of restorative questions that teachers and students will focus on are:
1. What happened?
2. How did it happen?
3. How did you act in this situation?
4. Who do you think was affected?
5. How were they affected?
6. How were you affected?
7. What needs to happen to make things right?
8. If you find yourself in the same situation again how could you behave differently?
Buddy Program
Buddy partnerships allow students at school to develop connections with a variety of students in a variety of school levels. At Saint Patrick’s School our buddy partnerships give students the opportunity to feel welcome, safe, supported, value difference, develop friendships, empathise with others and enable students to develop social skills.
Older students take responsibility while younger students know they have a fellow students they can turn to for support.
Regular collaboration occurs between older and younger classes a creating a sense of community within the school. This partnership helps students to feel connectedness to school that enables both younger and older buddies to bond more closely within their school community.
Saint Patrick’s buddy program assists with:
Transition to primary school
Development of a positive caring environment
Advancement of positive social skills and values
Promotion of inclusion in our community
Building self confidence in students
Development of an empathetic community
Cross age peer tutoring
Working with Children Check
Do you require a working with children check? Please click the link below for more information.
http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/
home/applications/apply+for+a+check/
Medication
Change of Address or Phone Number
The school must be notified immediately if there is a change in address or phone number at home or in the work place of parents. This is to ensure contact in the case of emergency.
Anaphylaxis & Asthma
We follow the guidelines prepared by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy Inc. (ascia) & The Children’s Allergy Centre – Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne that provides advice for minimising the risk of food induced anaphylaxis in schools.
Anaphylaxis & Asthma Plans
If your child has anaphylaxis, asthma or an allergy, the school requires a plan, signed by their Doctor. This plan can stay in place until there is a change in their needs or if the child has an episode. All medication brought to school must be clearly named.
Medication
If students have ongoing medical conditions that require additional care, arrangements need to be made for a management plan endorsed by a doctor and built into school procedures. If students require medication for short term illnesses, parents must administer it in person.
Sickness
Students who are not well enough to play outside during morning or lunch recess should not be sent to school unless there are compelling reasons for acting otherwise.
At times, children showing obvious signs of illness have been sent to school. It would be appreciated if parents would keep at home any child who has a temperature, badly running nose, bad cough or any other worrying symptoms. A sick child is unhappy at school and cannot be expected to learn.
If your child is unwell at school the teacher will send them to the sick bay.
If they are ill, you will be phoned to come & pick them up.
(Please do not send your child to school telling them they can come home if they don’t feel well, as the children will usually say they don’t feel well.)
All children who attend sick bay are provided with a parent information slip. This will include the nature of the illness and the treatment provided.
Health Exclusion Table
The Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 2001 No.41 requires the following exclusion table to be observed in cases of infectious diseases.
| Disease | Exclusion |
|---|---|
| CHICKEN POX | Exclude until fully recovered or for at least 5 days after the eruption first appears |
| MEASLES | Exclude for at least 4 days after onset of rash |
| RUBELLA | Exclude until fully recovered or for at least 4 days after onset of rash |
| IMPETIGO | Exclude until appropriate treatment has commenced. Sores on exposed surfaces must be covered with a watertight dressing |
| WHOOPING COUGH | Exclude the child for 5 days after starting antibiotic treatment |
| CONJUNCTIVITIS | Exclude until discharge from eyes has ceased |
| INFLUENZA | Exclude until well |
| MUMPS | Exclude for 9 days or until swelling goes down |
| HEAD LICE | Readmit the day after appropriate treatment has commenced |