Wellbeing & Leadership DELIVERING AN INTEGRATED WELLBEING PROGRAM

Guided by the Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Program, Aristotle, St Catherine’s Wellbeing Program weThrive, fosters development of emotional intelligence and resilience in all our students.

Through age-appropriate wellbeing lessons, students are equipped with the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to face the challenges of adolescence and create pathways to embrace adulthood with confidence and courage.

In 2022, St Catherine’s School worked Towards 2025 with the following wellbeing initiatives across our Senior School, Junior School, and Early Learning Centre:

• Introduction of new Child Safety Standards in accordance with Ministerial Order 1359.

• Established a student Child Safety Committee to ensure student voice is heard.

• Delivery of Child Safety Training and Workshops by Deputy Principal –Student Wellbeing to staff.

• Expansion of the weThrive Wellbeing Program to include Respectful Relationships curriculum from Prep to Year 12 and Consent Education.

Students from Prep to Year 11 celebrated the diversity within our School Community through week-long activities in November, including:

• Traditional Chinese Dance performance from Year 9 student, Hexuan (Helena) Zhou.

• 2023 Student Executive explaining the realm of diversity within our community, including cultural, gender, age, and neurodiversity.

• Diversity Dash obstacle course –exploding colour run through the Village Green in Barbreck.

• Students embraced the opportunity to celebrate each other and the diversity that each person brings to the fabric of our School community.

• The ever-present student voice elected three charities to donate proceeds from the Diversity Dash too. The 2022 charities were The Trevor Project – $217 raised, Believe: neurodiversity – $242 raised and One Girl – $256.50 raised.

• Delivery of Child Safety Training and Workshops by Deputy Principal – Student Wellbeing to Senior School students.

• Consent Education presentations to Years 11 and 12 students.

In 2022, St Catherine’s School introduced The Resilience Project into the Junior and Senior School Wellbeing Program to provide additional resources to deepen their skills in gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness.

• Year 7 Camp, Philip Island.

• Year 7 Bush Camp, Eildon.

• Year 8 Camp, Central Australia.

• Year 9 Camp; two groups to Western Australia, one to Far North Queensland.

• Year 10 Camp, Cairns, Far North Queensland.

Year 7

• Orientation for 2023 Year 7 conducted successfully. Year 7 leaders and Year 12 2023 leaders ran the day.

• Enlighten Education Session for all Years 7 Students (Improving self-esteem of girls).

• Melbourne Zoo Wellbeing Day.

• Composing a letter to themselves, to be read when they are in Year 12.

• Friendships, respect and understanding themselves presentation from Sex Education Australia (SEA).

Year 8

• Enlighten Education Session for all Years 8 Students.

• Cystic Fibrosis Walkathon.

• Selection of students from Year 8 into Year 9 Exchange program.

• Yoga and positive thinking.

• SEA seminar on Consent and Early Dating.

• Bounce Wellbeing Day excursion as the girls challenged their teachers and peers to dodgeball matches, flipping competitions and basketball shoot-outs.

Year 9

• RU Ok Day activities.

• Community Service with Sacred Heart Mission.

• The Resilience Project activities with focus on gratitude.

• Resume writing.

• House Netball.

• Newspaper fashion design and parade.

Year 10

• Dance-a-thon – raising funds for rare cancer.

• Anything but a Backpack – raising awareness for the Shred of Dignity.

• Book drive for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

• Wear a touch of Pink – Breast cancer awareness.

• Bounce Wellbeing Day excursion.

• Sexual Health Seminar on pregnancy, respecting boundaries and consent.

Year 11

• Tree Surfing and Enchanted Adventure, Arthur’s Seat.

• Student workshops, seminars, and presentations throughout the year.

• Ongoing support from Head of Year, House Tutors, Wellbeing Team, and Dean of Academics.

Year 12

• Year 12 Leadership Conference.

• Student workshops, seminars, and presentations throughout the year.

• Ongoing support from Head of Year, House Tutors, Wellbeing Team, and Dean of Academics.

• Final Day of Year 12 celebrations including food trucks, shared lunch, and music.

There were many opportunities to see happy, active, and creative minds collaborating and celebrating St Catherine’s Senior School’s Wellbeing Day, held on Tuesday 22 November.

The Resilience Project

Mindful of the importance of the girls’ health and wellbeing, after the disruption of COVID, The Resilience Project was introduced to build positive mental health and assist the girls in becoming happier and more resilient.

The Resilience Survey, undertaken by Years 3 to 6 students, showed St Catherine’s students scored well above national averages, especially in the areas of hope, life satisfaction, having teachers who care for them, feeling good about themselves and being ready to learn. It was also reflected in the results from our Student, Staff and Parent Survey earlier in the year.

The Four-Leaf Clover Buddy Program continued for ELC and Year 4 students, providing social connections and leadership opportunities.

Buddy Program – Year 3 to 3YO

Developed in 2021, the 3LC Friendship Program continued in 2022, providing a friendship program between Year 3 students and 3YO ELC children. This program builds self-confidence, independence and accountability for all children involved.

The St Catherine’s Beyond Boundaries Program was back in full swing in 2022. Students from Year 1 through to Year 6 took part in unique outdoor learning experiences with opportunities to build social relationships, develop confidence and foster independence.

The outdoor adventures offered in the Junior School were, for many students, the first overnight camp experience after two years of cancelled programs.

The Program included:

• Camp Jungai in Rubicon for Years 5 and 6 students. Throughout the four days, the girls completed various activities and challenged themselves with canoeing, raft building, bush walking, balancing on the low ropes course and flying high on the Possum Pull.

• Gundiwindi Lodge in Wandin was the site for the Years 3 and 4 program. Archery, flying fox, damper cooking and the giant swing were just some of the exciting activities they participated in over three funfilled days.

• The Years 1 and 2 students started their first camp experience with a sports and teamwork session followed by a BBQ dinner at School. The Year 2 students enjoyed a sleepover in the Music Room in their personal slumber tents. This was a momentous moment for many, as it was their first time sleeping away from home.

• Early learners discussed and explored a range of emotions and strategies for managing different feelings. Zones of regulation were introduced as a tool for supporting children’s abilities to self-regulate and manage emotions.

• There was a strong focus on classroom community and strengthening of wellbeing as the children became connected to one another as a class following previous years of COVID lockdowns.

• Focus on developing a safety network. The children were supported in identifying and developing people in their own personal safety network. They completed visual representations with the names of these people as a reminder of who they can go to for support.

The Four-Leaf Clover Buddy Program continued for ELC and Year 4 students, providing social connections and leadership opportunities including designing book characters together and writing stories.

Buddy Program – Year 3 to 3YO

Developed in 2021, the 3LC Friendship Program continued in 2022, providing a friendship program between Year 3 students and 3YO ELC children. This program builds self-confidence, independence and accountability for all children involved.

At St Catherine’s, we are committed to ensuring our boarding students feel connected to our dynamic and vibrant Boarding House, offering them friendship, care and a broadened understanding of other communities and cultures. Boarders develop personal and academic independence within our nurturing and supportive environment.

Activities in 2022 included:

• Closed Weekend – provides an opportunity for boarders across all Year levels to get to know each other through a range of wellbeing activities at the commencement of the year.

• Charity Dress Up Night.

• Honouring and celebrating multiple cultural celebrations including an Easter egg hunt, Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and Reconciliation Week.

• Nightly catch ups to share time together as a boarding family.

• Celebrating birthdays.

• Illawarra Gym.

• Boarders’ Socials with other schools.

Boarding Parents’ Activities:

• Welcome Afternoon Tea – Start of 2022 Welcome Afternoon Tea for boarders and their parents, held in the Illawarra garden. The event celebrates the value of relationships and the importance of staying connected to all boarding families.

• Parents’ Dinner – The Boarders’ Parents’ Dinner returned in 2022, held at the end of Term 3 with many boarding families attending.

• Year 12 Boarders’ Farewell –The Farewell Dinner for Year 12 boarders was held in Term 4 and was attending by Year 12 students and their parents.