Student Wellbeing

Student Wellbeing is at the forefront of all that we do at Brandon Park Primary School. We believe that in order for students to learn to their full potential they need to feel safe, valued and respected in their learning environment. At Brandon Park Primary School, we aim to provide a safe, nurturing, dynamic learning community that leaves no child behind. The Literacy and Numeracy intervention programs are a testament to that. We provide an environment and curriculum that challenges students to achieve their highest potential and that develops knowledge, skills and resilience to be successful and empathic school community members. Within our learning community, the Respectful Relationships program and now The Resilience Project and the Zones of Regulation underpin teaching and learning and guide interactions between teacher and students and amongst students themselves. Acting Assistant Principal (wellbeing and welfare) Todd Bates and the Wellbeing coordinators, Clementine Hubbard and Cath FitzGerald have been pivotal in planning and guiding the delivery of very effective whole-school programs. Success has been measured by the very positive results from the student, parent and staff opinion survey.

List of websites and services that we work with:

• Raising Children

• The Resilience Project

• Eastern Mental Health

• Child and Youth Mental Health Services

• ECASA

• SECASA

• Butterfly Foundation

• Eating Disorders Victoria

• Royal Children’s Hospital

• Australian Institute of Family Studies

• Smiling Mind

• Welcoming Schools

• eSafety

Zones of Regulation

The Zones of Regulation form part of our student's social and emotional learning. By teaching these, we aim to help students notice and articulate the emotion they are feeling.

Blue Zone

This is where you would be if you were feeling tired, sad, bored or sick. In general, you are feeling slow and uncomfortable.

Green Zone

This is where you feel happy, pleased, proud, content, calm and ready to learn. This is the ideal zone for students to be in when in class, i.e. feeling comfortable.

Yellow zone

This is when there is some loss of control; where students may feel worried, scared or frustrated, behave in a silly way or be excited. In this zone, students can be either comfortable or uncomfortable.

Red Zone

This is where there is a loss of control. There could be feelings of rage, fury, elation or total fear.

Next

Once children understand the concept of the zones they will then explore ways to help regulate themselves. Some will need the support of sensory devices, others will utilise calming techniques. We want to help all students to recognize when they are beginning to feel uncomfortable in the yellow zone and have a toolbox of ideas to help them regulate themselves.

At Home

You can support your child/children at home by asking them which zone they are in and by using an ‘I wonder question’.

"I wonder if you are in the yellow zone at the moment, you seem a bit worried.” Naming the emotion will help the students with their emotional literacy and show them that we can see they are feeling uncomfortable.
Exploring sensory ideas to help your child feel calmer will also help. Some children find colouring, playdough, using stress balls, time at the park or reading a book really beneficial. You could also try using relaxing music, children’s yoga for deep breathing exercises or mindfulness.

Finally

The key message is to help your child understand that it is okay to feel angry, become worried or scared, however, they do need to find ways to manage those uncomfortable feelings and self-soothe.

Supports for Parents and Families

• Monash Family Services

• Monash Youth Services

• Link Health

• Headspace

• HeadtoHelp - Free Mental Health Services

• Children’s/Youth Mental Services (CYMS)

• eHeadspace

• Orange Door

• Safe Steps

• EdVoss

• Trak Ahead

• Lifeline

• Kids Help Line

• Parentline

Brandon Park Primary School has an extensive network of service providers for students and their families if extra support is required. Allied health professionals who provide services funded by the NDIS or ECEI programs are always accommodated on-site if there is a request because our educators believe that a collaborative approach ensures positive learning outcomes and the development of social and emotional capacities.

A Foundation student during Anti-Bullying Day