WELLBEING MATTERS
WELLBEING FOR LEARNING
In Extended Pastoral Care and Homeroom, we have been working collectively to create a sense of community and sense of belonging where all students and staff feel safe and students are ‘ready to learn’.
Character Strength of the Week
Social Intelligence (Virtue of Humanity)
Definition: Aware of motives and feelings of others, knows what makes others tick and shows empathy.
Synonyms: sociability, sociability, gregariousness.
Quote: "Grades don't measure intelligence and age doesn't define maturity". (unknown)
How to ignite your Social Intelligence:
- What are the social situations that have had the most positive outcomes for you?
- How do you positively influence interactions with others?
- What other character strengths help you to be more socially intelligent?
Video: Emotional Intelligence
Character Strengths
We believe everyone is unique and have something different to offer. Over the next week students will unpack and share their Character Strengths and celebrate their similarities and differences with one another in Pastoral Care.
What are Character Strengths? They are the qualities that come most natural to you.
- Every individual possesses all 24-character strengths in different degrees, giving each person a unique character or strength profile.
- When you know your strengths, you can improve your life and thrive.
- Research reveals that people who use their strengths a lot are 18 times more likely to be flourishing than those who do not use their strengths.
- Character strengths are a vehicle for improving wellbeing and providing a sense of purpose and hope.
If family members would like to complete the VIA Character Strengths Profile and share and celebrate with your child, you can do so by visiting this website: https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register#youth
Friendly February
Please see attached this month's calendar theme: Friendly February for you to reflect upon with students, family and friends.
How can we have happier relationships?
This month is all about friendship and finding small ways we can stay connected and feel closer to others.
We need each other more than ever right now! This month, let's focus on reaching out to connect with others and do our best to be a good friend/teacher. Our acts of kindness and connection ripple out and impact so many more people than we realise - and they also boost our own happy hormones too! In stressful times people around us may be feeling the strain, so let's try to keep calm, take time to listen and show compassion.
COVID SAFETY IN OUR
CLASSROOMS AND OUR SCHOOL
2022 has presented an opportunity to again refine our COVID safety protocols here at school, especially when it comes to air quality. Here’s a quick list of the work we’re doing to keep our community safe.
- Every mainstream classroom has an air filter running constantly to help remove dust, pollen and water droplets from the air. These machines help reduce the potential transmission of COVID and other infections. Air filters are also running in staff studies, meeting rooms and the front office to protect both staff, families and visitors.
- We have clear ventilation protocols in place. Good ventilation is one of the best actions that we can take as a community to slow the spread of COVID. Every classroom and communal area has both windows and doors open to encourage air flow. There are also daily checks of every classroom and common space to make sure indoor spaces are well ventilated. In high traffic areas like the hall, front office and school corridors, there are also carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors in place to check for air quality. Higher CO2 levels mean that a space might have too many people in it or that it is not ventilating well. I am pleased to report that no space in the school to date has ever gone above the safe recommended levels of CO2 in the air.
- From Monday the 28th of Feb, masks will not be mandatory for staff or students to wear inside. On behalf of the staff I’d like to thank all of the students who have diligently worn their masks to every class, despite the hot weather and annoyance we’ve all had to get used to. Students are welcome to continue to wear masks if that is their preference.
- Hand sanitiser stations will remain throughout the school for students and staff. I'd like to thank all the students who make the extra effort to sanitise their hands before using the Canteen every recess and lunch.
- Social distancing practices for the front office and the canteen especially will remain in place. If you need to visit the front office please use the red markers on the floor to line up 1.5m apart. The Canteen lines will continue to use the floor markers as per usual.
- As we continue to find a new normal in our school community, especially about treasured school events like camps and sports carnivals, we will continue to do detailed risk assessments and apply the latest information from the Department of Education and the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) to keep everyone safe.
If you have any questions about our COVID safety protocols please don’t hesitate to contact me at hodoherty@crcstalbans.com.au
Here’s a link to a short video we made to welcome students back to school and explain the air purifier systems that are in every classroom.
All the best,
Hayden O'Doherty - COVID Safety