St.

Brigids Primary School has used the KidsMatter framework to support the development and implementation of a number of strategies that assist in the promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing as well as the establishment of an environment that encourages respectful relationships, belonging and inclusion. (COMPONENT 1). St. Brigids began its journey with KidsMatter with staff training and surveying of staff including LSAs in an effort to gain a snapshot of our perceptions of the current strengths and weaknesses of our community.

We discovered that the majority of our staff viewed our school community positively in terms of COMMUNITY. Our families were also surveyed randomly, with a modified version of the staff survey. A large majority of our families reported our school community as a positive environment. Our survey results, while very positive and encouraging, suggested parents felt the area of inclusiveness based on cultural diversity was most lacking.

Following the survey, an Implementation Team was established. The team consists of: David Palmer (Principal) Narelle Vandermaat (LST) Kay Latham (Exec.) Cath Garrett-Jones Sarah Whalley (K/1 Teacher) Anne Hayter (Parent selection based on skill).

STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED

Awareness Day
An Awareness Day was planned and implemented to celebrate cultural diversity and heritage within our school as well as launch the KidsMatter framework within our school. Our new Hall was used to conduct a liturgy celebrating the cultural heritage of our students and also recognize the local indigenous people and their culture. The Black Pearl Dancers a local aboriginal dance group made up of children and youth from the RT area performed several dances for our school this also recognized NAIDOC Week celebration as well as the 2011 Book week theme: One World, Many Stories. The Awareness Day also provided us with a platform to launch the KidsMatter framework within our school.

School Portal Development In order to share resources with parents in an accessible way, a dedicated dissection has been created on our school portal. A variety of resources from the KidsMatter guide have been scanned and loaded onto the portal with references made in our Newsletter. The selection of material has generally related to issues being addressed at school during a given period of time.

Parent Workshop Our families (and those with children 0 12 in the RT and Karuah area) will benefit from a WS to be held in the next month in our Hall. This has been possible as a result of the successful application for a Community Activity Fund grant of $1000.00. The grant will be used to fund the cost of catering, printed resources and advertising. This supports the implementation of a positive and inclusive school community in a LGA.

Harmony Day A variety of activities are being planned and organized to celebrate Harmony Day. Our Year 6 children with the support of the Student Parliament are managing this event. Harmony Day will involve a number of cultural activities from story telling to art and craft activities.

Parent Library As well as the Parent Portal, our Library houses a Parent Library where families are able to borrow literature specific to parenting, mental health and well being. Our Pastoral Care office also houses a number of resources, which are sourced from the local community, and beyond with the aim of offering families assistance in accessing required mental health and well-being services.

Family Support and Referral Directory This directory contains information relevant to families and childhood development. It provides a source of referral information for families who may have concerns about the development and well-being of their children.

Re-structuring of PD/H/PE lessons Our PD/H/PE lessons have been restructured with a focus on incorporating specific lessons on emotional intelligence, resilience and social skill development. These lessons allow issued within each class group to be explored on a needs base also providing children an opportunity to share concerns and collectively work towards positive solutions which allow for appropriate social development.

Social Group/Lunch Library Club The library is used to provide a safe alternative to the playground for students who experience difficulties socially in a busy environment. Structured activities have been established as well as opportunity for students to pursue their own interests.

Grandparents Day Grandparents Day allows our community to recognize the support provided to us by our senior members. It allows us an opportunity to demonstrate our deep respect and gratitude for their gifts and talents at a Liturgy and shared lunch and classroom visits. Playgroup In conjunction with our local Parish, a Playgroup has been established where all members of the wider community are welcomed and encouraged to attend with their children for social interaction. This provides an early connection and opportunity for interaction with our school.

Active After School (Before School!) The formal AAS program has been implemented before school to accommodate transport requirements of our children. Rock and Water program This program is in the process of being implemented with the support of the local Communities for Children (C4C) group. The new Hall development This facility has already been widely used in the 8 months since its commissioning. The Hall provides a gathering place for Parish and School activities as well as the possibility of it being used as a community hub for future activities.

The Behaviour Management Plan (BMP) The BMP allows for the early identification of children who are experiencing difficulty following our schools code of conduct. It also allows staff to identify behavioral trends allowing the implementation of strategies to assist in the support of positive behaviour.