Visible Wellbeing

On 15 July, all staff gathered together once again for our final Visible Wellbeing professional development session where we learnt about the links between habits and goals, and our achievement and wellbeing. Habits and goals are inextricably linked, and as varied as we are as people, but have underlying psychological processes that we can refine to be more effective. 

Additionally, strong habits and goals practices not only improve our achievement but also contribute to higher levels of wellbeing. After the Habits and Goals training module our staff have identified the ways they integrate habit formation and goal setting into their work with our young people. 

As part of the module all staff were asked to consider setting their own “Everest” goals – big ambitious, energising goals that drive us to perform better … you might like to try setting one as a family! The Visible Wellbeing SEARCH Framework contains a good reminder to prioritise GODly habits in our lives. Reading the Word of God, praying continually, gathering in corporate worship at church, these are important to help us abide with Christ. 

Our highest priority at St Andrews as a Christian faith community will always be to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus"  (Philippians 3:14). Academic goals are good! But it is better to press on towards a heavenly goal, to pursue the One who empowers us and sustains us for the journey, Christ Jesus.

Throughout this year and ongoing, we will be sharing more insights and offering support to engage with the Visible Wellbeing SEARCH Framework as we begin to embed the practices in our teaching and learning. Aligning this knowledge with our Pedagogical Framework and Graduate Profile will further embed the strengths-focussed approach within our context. As parents, remember to complete your Strengths survey with the VIA Institute on Character to begin the conversation at home around your child's unique God shaped strengths.

Please reach out if you would like some more information about the Visible Wellbeing SEARCH Framework.

God Bless,

Building Healthy Friendships

Wellbeing Parent Information Session 3

What a wonderful turnout for our recent "Building Healthy Friendships" Wellbeing Parent Information Session, with over 40 parents joining us! Led by our Primary School Counsellor, Chloe Tan, we had a great time of learning and discussion as we explored how parents can support children to develop healthy, respectful and positive friendships. We gained understanding that as parents we have vital roles in helping our children develop core foundational personable skills as they are not innate and are to be learnt through exposure, experience and repetition. We discussed social skills, communication, boundaries, conflict, empathy and how parents can either step in or step back when helping their child navigate friendship challenges with confidence and resilience.

Due to popular demand, the session has now been recorded and uploaded to our Wellbeing Parent Page. This means all parents can now access the presentation and recording at a time that suits them, even if they were unable to attend on the day.

Our next Wellbeing Parent Information Session will focus on “Helping Teens Thrive: Managing Stress, Study and Sleep”. This session will be run by our Secondary Counsellor, Melissa Kiernan and will explore practical strategies to help our young people establish healthy sleep routines, manage study demands, cope with stress and maintain their wellbeing throughout the school year.

We look forward to seeing you there!