In the spotlight
By Mrs Michelle Xerri, Acting Assistant Principal, Deputy Head of Junior School
The well-being of our students is at the forefront of all learning and activity within the Radford College Junior School. Underpinned by the philosophy that all educators are teachers of well-being, our classroom and specialist staff work together with the Well-being Team to equip students with the knowledge, skills and conditions needed to flourish in the classroom and in life.
The Junior School Well-being Team comprises of Mrs Mackenzie Perfect, Well-being specialist teacher; Miss Hannah Zaja, Junior School counsellor; Ms Samantha Scott, Well-being Support, Ms Karen Mahar, Acting Deputy Principal, Head of Junior School; and myself.
Term 1 has seen an abundance of bespoke well-being learning experiences. Some of the highlights include:
Year 6 Body Bright Incursion
As part of their inquiry into Who We Are, Year 6 recently participated in an incursion from the Butterfly Foundation’s Body Bright program. This session focused on helping students understand how media influences self-esteem and body image, and highlighted strategies to navigate digital spaces responsibly.
“I liked how the speaker spoke about how you should like yourself for who you are instead of trying to be someone you’re not – Conor, Year 6
“We learnt not to compare ourselves to others because the internet is not always what it appears. When you are on the internet you need to look beyond opinions and search for the facts because opinions can emotionally deceive you” – Heer, Year 6
Switch 4 Schools
Students in Years 4–6 have been utilising the Switch 4 Schools (S4S) iPad application every morning as a tool for helping them to identify how they are feeling, and to develop a toolkit of strategies for regulating emotions.
“Switch 4 Schools is a fun and interactive way of learning how to control our emotions” – Yvonne, Year 4
“We do check-ins that ask us to reflect on our energy levels and then we get to look at strategies to help us” – Harini, Year 4
“I can use Switch 4 Schools to find ideas for how to manage my emotions. There are different switches such as “box breathing” and “draw the emotion” – Junxin, Year 4
Friendology
Promoting a common language of friendship, Friendology lessons empower students with the explicit skills and understanding required to establish and maintain positive and healthy relationships.
“I’ve learnt that no friendship is perfect. Friends also change and that’s okay – Grace, Year 2
“I like that we are learning to make friends. This is important so that no one is lonely” – Lucas, Year 2
“I love the games that we play that help us learn about our feelings. We sometimes role play how to be a good friend. I liked when we made chatterboxes that had strategies inside for how to make a friend” – Ruiya, Year 2