Wellbeing | Caulfield South Primary School

Wellbeing & Programs

Caulfield South Primary School

At Caulfield South Primary School, we strive to create an environment that supports student wellbeing by addressing emotional, social, and behavioural needs through various strategies and practices. A well-rounded approach to wellbeing ensures that students are not only academically successful but also emotionally resilient and socially connected.

Here’s an overview of the effective strategies to promote wellbeing at our school:

1. Holistic Support Systems

Restorative Practices

Restorative practices focus on fostering a positive school culture through relationship-building and conflict resolution. Key elements include:

Restorative Circles: Provide a structured way for students and staff to discuss issues openly, repair harm, and rebuild trust. These circles promote empathy and understanding among participants.
Conflict Resolution: Encourage students to resolve disputes collaboratively, helping them develop problem-solving and communication skills.
Community Building: Activities and rituals that create a strong sense of belonging and collective responsibility within the school.

Zones of Regulation

The Zones of Regulation framework helps students manage their emotions and behaviour effectively:

Identifying Emotions: We teach students to recognise their emotional states and categorise them into four zones (Blue, Green, Yellow, Red).
Self-Regulation Strategies: We equip students with tools and techniques to move towards the Green Zone (calm and focused state) when they are in the Blue, Yellow, or Red Zones.
Emotional Awareness: Increase students' understanding of how their emotions impact their behaviour and learning.

2. Positive Behaviour and School Climate

School-Wide Positive Behaviour (SWPBS) Initiative

This department initiative aims to create a consistent and supportive environment where positive behaviour is encouraged and reinforced:

Clear Expectations: Establish and communicate behaviour expectations across various school settings.
Positive Reinforcement: Recognise and reward students for exhibiting desirable behaviours, using strategies like praise, rewards, or privileges.
Support Systems: Provide additional support and interventions for students who need help meeting behavioural expectations, including individualised plans and small group support.
Data-Driven Approach: Monitor and analyse behaviour data to make informed decisions and adjust strategies as needed.

3. Emotional and Social Support

School Social Worker

We have a school based social worker who plays a crucial role in supporting student wellbeing through:

Counselling Services: Offer individual and group counselling to address personal, social, and emotional challenges.
Crisis Intervention: Provide immediate support during crises or traumatic events, ensuring students receive appropriate care and resources.
Family Support: Work with families to address issues affecting students and provide guidance and resources to improve home environments.

4. Fostering a Supportive School Culture

Promoting Mental Health Awareness

Education and Training: Provide staff and students with training on mental health issues, recognising signs of distress, and knowing how to seek help. Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relationship education is delivered from P-6.
Open Dialogue: Encourage discussions about mental health to reduce stigma and promote a culture of support.
Mindfulness: Students practice daily mindfulness which helps build resilience, reduce stress, promoting emotional regulation, self-awareness, focus, and empathy.

Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces

Anti-Bullying Initiatives: Implement programs and policies to prevent and address bullying, ensuring that all students feel safe and respected.
Diverse and Inclusive Curriculum: Ensure that the curriculum reflects diverse perspectives and experiences, fostering an inclusive environment where all students feel valued.

Encouraging Positive Relationships

Peer Mentoring: Develop peer mentoring programs where older students support and guide younger students, promoting positive relationships and a sense of community. This is achieved through our House System, Peacemakers, and the Year 5 & Prep Buddy Program.
Teacher-Student Relationships: Encourage teachers to build strong, supportive relationships with their students, providing a foundation for trust and positive interactions.

5. Student Engagement and Empowerment

Involving Students in Decision-Making

Student Voice: Involve students in decisions related to school policies, programs, and activities, giving them a sense of ownership and responsibility.
Leadership Opportunities: Provide opportunities for students to take on leadership roles within the school, fostering a sense of purpose and engagement. Opportunities include the Junior School Council, School Captains, House Captains, and Peace Makers.

Extracurricular Activities

Clubs and Sports: Offer a variety of extracurricular activities that cater to different interests and talents, helping students build social connections and develop new skills. Examples include Breakfast Club, Chess Club, UJEB, Junior Rockers, Choir and Orchestra, Art Club, and the Green Machine.

Our comprehensive approach to wellbeing at our school involves the integration of restorative practices, emotional and behavioural support frameworks like the Zones of Regulation and School-Wide Positive Behaviour initiative as well as access to a school Social Worker. At Caulfield South Primary School, we create a nurturing environment where students feel supported, valued, and equipped to succeed both academically and personally. This holistic approach not only enhances individual student wellbeing but also contributes to a positive and thriving school community.

Resilience, Rights, and

The Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relationships program focuses on teaching students the principles of healthy, positive interactions. It is about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our entire community, from classrooms to staff rooms, sporting fields, and social events. Weekly lessons are structured and delivered in an engaging way to help children understand and practice key concepts such as empathy, kindness, and effective communication.

Students learn about their own personal strengths, build on their ability to identify and understand their emotions, set and respect personal boundaries, resolve conflicts peacefully, be able to seek help, and support one another. The program often involves role-playing scenarios, group discussions, and storytelling to make these concepts relatable and engaging.

Teachers and staff model respectful behaviour and incorporate these principles into daily interactions, reinforcing the program’s lessons throughout the school day. By embedding these practices into the curriculum and school culture, the program aims to create a nurturing environment where students feel valued and empowered, which in turn enhances their social-emotional development and overall well-being. An annual wellbeing/respectful relationship week provides students with many opportunities to develop these skills and celebrate their social/emotional learning.

Respectful Relationships

Restorative Practice

Restorative practice is a proactive approach that emphasises building positive relationships and community among students, staff, and parents. Instead of focusing solely on punishment for misbehaviour, this practice encourages open communication and problem-solving to address conflicts and harm. For example, when a disagreement arises between students, they might participate in a guided dialogue where they express their feelings, understand each other's perspectives, and work together to find a resolution. This approach not only helps to repair relationships but also fosters a supportive and empathetic school environment. Integrating restorative practices promotes a culture of respect, responsibility, and emotional well-being, ultimately enhancing the overall learning experience for all students.

Key elements include:

Restorative Circles: Provide a structured way for students and staff to discuss issues openly, repair harm, and rebuild trust. These circles promote empathy and understanding among participants.
Conflict Resolution: Encourage students to resolve disputes collaboratively, helping them develop problem-solving and communication skills.
Community Building: Activities and rituals that create a strong sense of belonging and collective responsibility within the school.

Overall, Restorative Principles aim to elevate student behaviour, empathy, and cooperation.

Circle Time

Circle time is a structured activity where students and teachers gather in a circle to engage in open, inclusive discussions and activities that foster a sense of community and build social-emotional skills. During circle time, students share their thoughts and feelings, participate in group discussions, and work collaboratively on various exercises designed to enhance communication and empathy. This time is often used for activities such as sharing personal experiences, discussing classroom rules and goals, or participating in problem-solving scenarios. The circle format encourages every student to have a voice, promoting active listening and mutual respect among peers. Through regular circle time, children develop greater self-awareness, build stronger relationships with classmates, and learn to navigate social interactions more effectively, contributing to a positive and supportive classroom environment.

SWPBS

School-wide positive behaviour support framework is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable, and safe learning environments where everyone thrives.

It is an organised approach designed to create a supportive and proactive environment that encourages good behaviour and academic success. This program typically involves setting clear, consistent expectations for behaviour that are reinforced throughout the school. For instance, students might be rewarded with positive reinforcement such as praise, certificates, or house point rewards for demonstrating desired behaviours aligned with our school values, positivity, respect, integrity, determination and excellence, (represented by the acronym PRIDE). The program also includes teaching students about these expectations through lessons and modelling appropriate behaviour. Teachers and staff work collaboratively to address behavioural issues in a constructive manner, using strategies such as social-emotional learning and restorative practices. By fostering a positive school climate, and teaching and reinforcing desirable behaviours, this approach aims to reduce disciplinary problems, enhance student engagement, and create a more inclusive and effective learning environment.

Cyber Safety

The school prioritises a high-quality cyber-safety program to best educate our students about safe online behaviour. Students participate in an incursion at the beginning of each year from ‘The Cyber-Safety Project’ team, and continue their learning with online modules, delivered by their teacher, across the year.