Dear Families,

This week I watched the ABC Four Corners episode, “The kids who can’t”. It explored the growing trend in Australia of kids who are struggling to get to school. Notice I didn’t use the term, “School Refusal” as experts in the field, parents and the kids themselves don’t like the term as it doesn’t speak to what is actually happening.  For a number of reasons these kids are struggling to get to school but aren’t refusing; they actually want to be at school engaging in learning and being with their teachers and friends…they just can’t. They use the term, “School can’t”. It was a hard watch at times and my heart broke for the families who courageously shared their stories….there but for the grace of God go we.

These kids are communicating that school doesn’t work for them in some way. More and more schools are looking at ways to support students for whom the traditional school structure provides challenge. Whilst the episode looked at students with ASD, ADHD and anxiety disorders, I found it quite thought- provoking in regard to all our students and prompted much reflection on how we can support the kids at Columba.

Columba school has been doing a lot of work developing our Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour. This is the framework we use to consider and respond to the needs of students to ensure we provide a safe, predictable school environment. Columba has strategically implemented a range of supports seeking to create a safe and inclusive learning environment but we are always seeking to improve.

We consider the needs of the students using a three tier system. I will focus on wellbeing in particular in this week's newsletter.

Tier one provides supports, knowledge and skills for all our students. These help normalise behaviours and thinking, for example, we are using The Resilience Project to teach students to show gratitude for the small things in their lives, empathy for others, mindfulness by staying in the moment, alongside developing emotional literacy i.e. naming the emotions we are feeling and developing positive ways to express these. We seek to destigmatise mental ill health and give students skills to seek help when they need it. Tier one also involves teachers creating organised and predictable classrooms and routines where students are engaged in learning at their particular need to reduce stress and fear of being a failure. We seek to help students feel connected.

Tier two provides support for groups of students who need extra input and practise in these areas to develop wellbeing and self esteem. We have a team of people who do this at Columba. Paula, our school counsellor, leads Amelia and Steph who run small wellbeing groups exploring concepts such friendship skills, growth mindset, anxiety & worry, social skills etc.

Tier three is the most intensive level for students who need individualised support plans. We provide free counselling to students with a variety of needs and support families with securing professional assistance for critical needs.

Linking all three tiers is the Learning Team. Your first port of call for assistance is of course your child’s classroom teacher who will consult with the Learning and Wellbeing teams. Lizzy Cunningham is our school MHiPS leader (Mental Health in Primary Schools)- a Victorian Government initiative providing funding for each school to support student mental health initiatives. At Columba, Lizzy acts as a support for teachers and families in connecting to professional supports, for example, psychologists, Allied therapists, community groups etc. and in keeping the lines of communication open.

We urge our families to continue to communicate with us in identifying needs and creating plans and pathways for assistance. We thank all those families who have recently taken the time to attend Family Conferences. This is invaluable for us to respond to the wide variety of student needs, both academically and in the wellbeing space.

Take care

Regards,
Caz Websdale
Acting (Pretending?)Principal

We welcome Andrew back next week after a well deserved break with his family.