Emotional Wellbeing at School 

We are pleased that our Second Step Social and Emotional Wellbeing Program is in its second year. Over the course of the year all our students are explicitly taught, age appropriate, skills in the following areas: 

1. Skills for Learning – skills to help you learn.  

1. Empathy – identifying and understanding your own and others’ feelings. 

1. Emotion Management – learning specific skills for calming down when experiencing strong feelings. 

1. Problem Solving – learning processes for solving problems with others in a positive way. 

1. Bullying Prevention – Recognise, report and refuse. 

These skills help with the normal emotional ups and downs of school life. When students are learning new skills Home Links will be sent home so that you can be aware of the content and use the same language with your child.  

Some children may experience bigger emotional problems that are impacting their learning. Talk and reassure your child that these feelings are real but will also pass.  

Acknowledge them with perspective.   

Discuss concerns with your teacher so that he/she can be aware. They may be able to put your mind at rest or offer some additional observations from the school day. e.g. a year one student reporting that he/she has no friends and no one to play with, may only be a 5-minute period he/she remembers within a busy, very social day. 

If your child’s learning is being impacted at school, your teacher may refer your child, with your consent, to our Student Support Services Team. This team consists of myself, our Inclusion coach, Literacy and Numeracy Coach and our Guidance Officer.  

The SSS team may offer strategies for the classroom teacher, complete further observations or suggest referrals to Health Professionals. In rare cases, our Guidance Officer may work with yourself and the classroom teacher to support your child in conjunction with other health professionals but does not offer in-school counselling.  

In addition, our Guidance Officer and I will be holding a Parent workshop on Emotional Wellbeing at school, in the coming weeks.