Positive wellbeing is fundamental to a child’s ability to learn, develop and thrive at school.
We know that when students feel supported, they are more engaged with their learning.
At Sydney Catholic Schools, we commit to providing safe, supportive and inclusive environments which nurture the wellbeing of all students and staff in our community.
Our student wellbeing policy is underpinned by the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework. The framework recognises five elements that are key to supporting the whole school community to build and maintain safe, positive relationships and wellbeing: leadership, inclusion, student voice, partnerships and support.
This is complemented by the Be You Framework, a national initiative for educators aimed at promoting and protecting positive mental health in children and young people. The integration of both frameworks supports our school communities to provide every student with the strongest foundation possible for them to reach their aspirations in learning and in life.
We have a systemic approach to wellbeing and positive behaviour with tiers of support to meet the diverse needs of staff, students and families. The offerings range from whole school initiatives, actively seeking student voice, system policies on anti-bullying, student counselling, staff training in student wellbeing, along with targeted interventions for students with complex social and emotional needs.
The Wellbeing Framework at Holy Cross College is based on the acronym SOLE. That being Respect for Self, Others, Learning and the Environment. At the college we understand the impact that positive wellbeing has on our students’ learning. ‘Wellbeing positively influences student learning outcomes, and success in learning enhances student wellbeing’.
As a community we seek to promote positive relationships through our morning homeroom which we call HCT (Holy Cross Talk). In addition, the Year coordinators incorporate wellbeing activities and initiatives into their sessions each fortnight. The college places great emphasis on the smooth transition of our new Year 7 students into the life and culture of the college. Aside from traditions such as walking down the ‘boarder stairs’ we have a Big Brother Program whereby our Year 12 students take the lead in orientation/ initiative activities for Year 7 students. Our college counsellor, Cecilia Egan is on site to provide guidance and assistance to students who may have wellbeing concerns both inside and outside of school.
