Wellbeing

Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Primary School

Our Lady of the Assumption is committed to providing safe, secure and high quality learning and development opportunities for every student. We believe students will reach their full educational potential when they are happy, healthy and safe.  Social and emotional learning can help students learn the competencies and skil​​ls they need to build resilience and effectively manage their emotions, behaviour and relationships with others.

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Wellbeing refers to students’ cognitive, physical, social, spiritual and emotional development. This is fundamental to successful learning.  Children and young people who are happy, confident and able to establish meaningful relationships are better placed to achieve positive learning outcomes. At OLA, we strive to provide an environment and comprehensive curriculum that supports students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills to manage their own health and wellbeing and to support that of others.  

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Student engagement has three interrelated components: behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement.

Behavioural engagement refers to students’ participation in education, including the academic, social and extracurricular activities of our school. Emotional engagement encompasses students’ emotional reactions in the classroom and in the school and measures a students’ sense of belonging or connectedness to our school.

Cognitive engagement relates to a students’ investment in learning and their intrinsic motivation and self-regulation.

At OLA we use many programs, opportunities, strategies and physical spaces to ensure our students develop a healthy mind and body, these are:

• meditation

• Making Jesus Real (MJR) Program

• The Resilience Project

• Student Wellbeing Engagement and Love for Learning

• Chill Out room

• Seasons

• Lunch Clubs

Fire Carrier

Seeking to keep the Reconciliation flame alight

The FIRE Carrier Program seeks to keep the Reconciliation flame alight in schools.

As a school and a community that acknowledges that our school is on Boon Wurrung land, the FIRE Carrier project allows us to demonstrate our support and encouragement for Indigenous Australians through word and action, not only those in our local community, but also to all Indigenous Australian communities. 

The purpose of this program is to provide opportunities for our school and community to develop awareness and understanding of Indigenous culture. Through this, we foster and encourage the development of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous schools, the local and the wider community. 

Throughout the year our FIRE Carriers will:

• raise awareness and promote Indigenous culture at OLA

• fundraise for ‘Open the Doors Foundation’

• represent OLA at community events and gatherings

• help with Reconciliation activities and celebrations

• participate and lead Aboriginal prayer and liturgy

Meditation

Focusing on mind-body spiritual relaxation 

Whole School meditation is practised daily to relaxation music.  Students focus on mind–body spiritual relaxation. During meditation, we concentrate on one particular thing, such as our breathing, sounds, body movements and feelings. This helps train our mind to stay focused and peaceful during times of stress.

Making Jesus Real

Being kind & considerate

Make Jesus Real (MJR) is a values education resource. MJR is centred on the belief that we are all God’s children and are called to try to be like Jesus Christ in the way we live. We are Jesus’ friends. He calls us into friendship with God and he calls us to imitate his way of living.

MJR highlights the importance of:

 • using manners

 • being kind and considerate 

 • having a positive attitude

 • showing tolerance and understanding toward others

 • giving time for reflection.  

MJR is relevant not only for the students that we teach but also for us as adults too. To grow and learn to be more like Jesus - to be able to greet, treat and speak (GTS) to others in the way Jesus did those many years ago is still very important today and is an absolute fundamental of MJR. It is the core of what MJR is about - trying to become the best person that we can be – trying to be more like Jesus.

The Resilience Project

Building mental health strategies & resilience

The Resilience Project provides emotionally engaging and practical positive mental health strategies to build resilience and happiness to all our students. The school community including our staff, students and parents all participate in learning about resilience. The students engage in a lesson per week from a structured program provided by The Resilience Project team. These lessons link with our Make Jesus Real Program and Circle time. The Parents have opportunities to attend workshops on resilience and parenting. The staff also participate in workshops to support their students with the program.

Student Wellbeing Engagement and Love for Learning

A focus on student wellbeing engagement

At OLA we begin the school year with a SWELL term. A SWELL (Student Wellbeing Engagement and Love for Learning) term focuses on the wellbeing of our students by providing opportunities for students to transition back into school, develop new friendships and engage in learning activities while feeling happy, safe and secure. Some opportunities include:

• visit from St. John’s Ambulance 

• visit from Australian Dental Van

• get to know you activities and games

• opening of the school year Mass

• Culture Connections and Have a Ball 

• swimming program

• family picnic and welcome evening.

Seasons

Support for our students

Seasons is a high-quality evidence based Australian education program to support children and young people who are struggling with experiences of change, loss and grief.

There are four different levels of the program. Each level includes eight weekly sessions, a final celebration session and two subsequent reconnector sessions (that range from 40 minutes to an hour depending on age). Each weekly session explores a concept theme such as, Life is like the Seasons, Change is Part of Life, ‘Valuing My Story, Caring for my Feelings, Making Good Choices.

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The program has a safe and engaging curriculum structure that incorporates a wide range of age-appropriate activities involving drawing, role-play, stories, discussion, playdough, music and journal activities.

Lunch Time Clubs

Making lunch times extra special

Lunchtime clubs at OLA offer students the opportunity to engage and participate in activities that they enjoy and are passionate about, socialise with groups of multi-age students, 'take a break' from the playground or try something new. We have many lunch clubs at OLA which include:

• construction

• walking

• drawing

• chess

• hip hop dancing 

• library

• robotics

• card swap (footy season).