How wonderful it was to welcome back our students this week. I especially welcome our new families to our Damascus College Community. It is a privilege to have an input into the academic, spiritual, and social and emotional development of your student. On Monday I conducted a Wellbeing for Learning workshop for our staff. The focus on the workshop was addressing how good mental health leads to improved student outcomes. The link between mental health and academic performance is undeniable, supported by rigorous research. I spoke of the importance of developing strong relationships with our students. Reminding staff that the identity and character of our students is paramount in establishing a classroom where students want to learn and feel safe. There were other elements to this conversation that were unpacked using the most recent ACER student survey to guide our discussion.
As parents and carers there are number of habits that I would hope that you are encouraging as your students return to the formalities of the school day. The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria has provided a series of guidelines that provide a useful reference point how parents and carers can support the wellbeing of the young people under their care. These guidelines include
- Encourage healthy eating, sufficient sleep and regular physical activity.
It is recommended children and young people do at least 60 minutes each day of moderate to vigorous physical activity that makes the heartbeat faster. Children aged 5 to 13 years should be getting 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Young people aged 14 to 17 years get 8 to 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
- Encourage positive attitudes, values and behaviours like courtesy, confidence, persistence, and doing your best.
The development of students Social and Emotional Learning skills is clearly linked to improved student outcomes. As a college we acknowledge students are progress with these skills. Parents/ Carers should be encouraging resilience, persistence, organisation, team work and confident behaviour. When you see your student demonstrating these skills praise and acknowledge them
- Celebrate your child’s successes.
Young people thrive on affirmation and recognition of success. Take the opportunity to label their achievements. Go beyond the ‘well done’ and label the success. “Well done on your result in mathematics. I know you have put a lot of work in nailing how the area of a circle is measured”.
- Help your child balance the amount of time spent in school work and play.
Encourage your student to get involved in activities that allow them to flourish in a variety of settings. Exposure to a variety of activities allows students to cultivate a variety of skills.
I look forward to working with you all throughout the year,