We believe learning happens best when a child's wellbeing is nurtured in a happy, safe environment. At St Francis of Assisi, we consider your child's and wellbeing a shared responsibility - from the Principal to the teachers and support staff. Behind your child stands a community working to ensure they are seen, heard and valued every day.
Wellbeing encompasses a child's emotional and social state of mind, their engagement at school, positive relationships and experiences both in and outside of school.
Our wellbeing initiatives include:
Berry Street Education Model
The Berry Street Education Model is an evidence based whole school trauma-informed approach to wellbeing and teaching. It uses relationship-based strategies that promote restorative practices which is modelled by all staff members. There are 5 domains in BSEM - Body, Stamina, Engagement, Relationship and Character. Throughout the year students learn their character strengths, build stamina and resilience and develop positive relationships. Regular brain breaks and movement options are offered to students to ensure they're are 'ready to learn' for every lesson. Students practice mindfulness and learn self-regulation strategies to support their wellbeing in all areas of school life.
Friendly Schools Program
At St Francis of Assisi School our Social and Emotional Learning Program is called 'Friendly Schools'. Friendly Schools helps build critical social and emotional skills, create positive, safe and supportive learning environments, and significantly reduce bullying. With over 20 years of extensive research in Australian schools, Friendly Schools is recognised nationally and internationally as one of the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested approaches to enhance student wellbeing. This Program helps to make a difference in our school by developing emotional and social self-efficacy, fostering empathy, enabling help seeking and positive peer action, and promoting moral engagement and social inclusion.
Wellbeing Room
The Wellbeing Room is a place where children can reset, calm down or take a break when needed. It can also provide a safe space for children to transition into the school day. During lunchtimes, Wellbeing Leaders lead lunchtime clubs in the Wellbeing Room. It can be used by children any time before or during school.
Wellbeing Leaders
Each class has two wellbeing leaders who lead lunchtime clubs in the Wellbeing Room, conduct class meetings and bring the student voice to meetings with school staff.
Wellbeing Week
At the beginning of the year, all students and classroom teachers spend a week focussing on their relationship with each other, establishing classroom routines, social skills and learning emotional regulation to ensure a supportive classroom environment for the year ahead. With all members of the class contributing, they will establish classroom agreements/code of conduct based on our school's values. These expectations will be displayed in the classroom and clearly communicated to all students and families.
Peaceful Kids
‘Peaceful Kids’ is a Mindfulness and Positive Psychology based program to lessen anxiety and stress and increase resilience in children. We offer this program to students who required extra support with resilience and managing anxiety. The program has been created to offer all children a developmentally appropriate program that gives children the skills, practice and support to utilise coping strategies that lessen the symptoms of anxiety and stress. The program also involves parental involvement and commitment to supporting the strategies at home. Our chaplain currently runs this program in small groups with students from Reception through to Year 6.
Rock and Water Program
The Rock and Water Program uses psycho-physical teaching methods is physical in nature and it uses games and exercises to stimulate the students abilities to develop wellbeing through strong physical and emotional awareness (mindfulness), mental strength (including practical and effective strategies for developing and maintaining positive mental health, reduction of anxiety, resilience) and social competency (communication skills, assertiveness, dealing with bullying, acceptance of others etc). Rock and Water is whole class program from Year 3-6 run at various times throughout the year.
