WELLBEING AT GREYTHORN PRIMARY SCHOOL
Wellbeing is a key priority goal to ensure students are happy, engaged and ready to learn. The program aids students in becoming independent thinkers and responsible citizens who are resilient, make strong choices and have empathy for themselves and others.
WHOLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS
At Greythorn Primary School, our vision is to develop strong and positive relationships between students and teachers through the following whole school programs:
SCHOOL VALUES
The school values of Optimism, Respect, Pride and Integrity underpin everything we do as a school community. Each value is explicitly taught at the start of the year and teachers refer to them consistently throughout the year. The ORPI award is presented to one junior and one senior student per week who demonstrates the school value.
BUDDIES
We are very proud of our whole-school approach to the buddy program. Foundation students are introduced to their Year 4 buddy early in the school year and they remain together for the next three years helping to develop a strong bond between younger and older students. Year 3 students visit our local kindergartens to begin forming connections and prepare the students for receiving their own Foundation buddy the following year.
MULTI-AGE GROUPS
All students belong to a ‘multi age’ group. These groups meet once a term to celebrate important whole school events such as Harmony Day, Science Week and our School Values Day. Students and teachers also meet with their entire house group once per term to participate in House games and activities developed by our Year 6 House Captains.
CLASSROOM PROGRAMS
Our wellbeing curriculum, based on the Victorian Curriculum, is explicitly taught through the following classroom programs:
*CIRCLE TIME
Circle Time is a time for students to gather together to share their personal feelings and ideas in response to a given question. It brings together the teacher and students in an enjoyable atmosphere of cooperation.
*ZONES OF REGULATION
Zones of Regulation is a conceptual framework used to teach students self-regulation and self-control. It allows students to categorise the complex feelings and states they experience. It improves their ability to recognise and communicate how they are feeling in a safe and non-judgemental way.
*THE RESILIENCE PROJECT
We are committed to teaching positive mental health strategies and build capacity to deal with adversity through the Resilience Project. Teachers and students engage in weekly lessons and activities around the key principles of:
The founder of this highly regarded program, Hugh Van Cuylenberg, was a Greythorn student himself! For more information, and for inspiration and activities for the whole family, check out TRP@HOME.
COUNSELLING
We are fortunate to have an onsite school social worker at Greythorn Primary. Their aim is to assist students academically and socially. Click here for all the details.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS CURRICULUM
The Resilience Project curriculum is complemented by activities from the DET priority program: Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationship. In Term 4, all classes are explicitly taught this program with a focus on building and embedding a culture of respect and equality across the school community.
In addition to the above programs, our teachers and leadership team work closely with families to support students who might be struggling with anxiety. Our student-led Wellbeing Club is open to all students, while a Calm Club and Lego Club is available to those students who might need a break from busy school life.