Student Wellbeing

Camp:

In 2022 we will be having our camps in Term One. Year 5/6 will have their camp at the Berry Sport and Recreation Centre in Week 5 (2^nd - 4^th March). Year 3/4 will be having their camp at Birrigai (21^st-23^rd March). The Year 4 students will be sleeping both nights and the Year 3 students will participate in a day trip on the 3^rd of March to join their Year 4 friends on camp.

The school holidays will provide some excellent opportunities to practise and get ready for camp. It is very common for most students to have anxiety about school camp. In our Cool Kids program this term, we have been doing some planning for the camps in 2022 and we would love to share the strategies we have brainstormed. A way to overcome anxiety about an event is to create a stepladder. The stepladder approach or ‘gradual exposure’ is a technique to help students slowly learn to conquer their fears and tackle situations they would previously have perceived as overwhelming. It is based on the principals of exposing ourselves to the fearful situations, but by doing so in a way that allows us to achieve small successes to move ourselves up the ladder to full exposure.

Here is a Camp preparation stepladder that we created in our Cool Kids groups. I really encourage you to try the steps and help prepare your child for our 2022 camps. Click here to view the camp stepladder

New School Year and Class Transition:

Another key lesson the students have learned in our Cool Kids groups is that when we worry about things, we are making a “thinking mistake”. An event that creates tension and worries for students and parents at the end of the year is “One Up” afternoon. This is a day at the end of the year where the children find out their teacher for the following year and find out the students who will be in their new class. Every student in our group admitted that they had made a thinking mistake in the past and had worried thoughts about their new teacher and friends in their class. Every student said that their worried thoughts never came true, and they had a great year. This is an important lesson to remember. Sometimes as parents we can wear our children’s worries and think the worst. As partners in your child’s education, it is important that you positively reinforce your child’s class placement for 2022. Please remember that all the teachers have put so much time and effort into formulating the 2022 classes. We are extremely blessed to have such wonderful staff that all show genuine care and love for every student in our school.

2022 Well-Being Programs at Holy Trinity:

In 2022 we will be providing numerous wellbeing support programs. They will range from whole school, small group student intervention and small group parent support.

Social and Emotional Learning- (Whole School)

In 2022 we will begin a school wide (ELC- Year 6) social and emotional learning program. The new program aligns beautifully with our PYP framework. The new program will be linked to the approaches to learning elements: Self-management Skills and Social Skills. The new framework will see students from the ELC- Year 6 learning key social and emotional skills in a progressive continuum.

More information about our new Social and Emotional learning program will be shared with you at the start of the 2022 school year.

Cool Kids Anxiety Program (Small group student intervention). The program teaches children aged 8-12 and their parents how to better manage the child's anxiety. The program is run onsite with the students in small groups.  The program aims to teach children:

• about anxiety, fears and worries
• how to deal with worried thoughts
• about being confident around other people, including helpful ways to solve social/friendship problems
• how to cope with feelings like anxiety, or even anger and sadness.

Cool Little Kids Anxiety Program (Small group parent support). The program is for parents who have a child in the ELC-Year 2. It will be run onsite in 2022. The Program aims to improve young children’s fear and anxiety about:

• Saying hello/goodbye
• Separating from parents (e.g. at preschool)
• Playing with unfamiliar people (e.g. playdates, parties)
• Trying new activities (e.g. swimming lessons)
• Going to sleep

Seasons for Growth: (Small group student intervention). This program is an innovative, evidence-based change, loss and grief education program for students in Kinder-Year 6. The program draws on the metaphor of the seasons to understand the experience of grief. It builds the knowledge and skills necessary to strengthen social and emotional wellbeing following significant loss by:

• Exploring the impact of change and loss
• Learning about effective ways to respond and adapt

We are really looking forward to continuing our school wellbeing support journey in 2022. We value parents and family members are vital partners in this process. If you have any questions about the information above, please send me an email brendon.pye@cg.catholic.edu.au

Kind Regards

Brendon Pye