Wellbeing Update

eSmart Digital License+

Vicky Gemmell

Deputy PrincipalStudent Wellbeing and Development

As part of the Quaerite Wellbeing Program, the Year 5s and 6s have embarked on earning their eSmart Digital Licenses. Shelford makes use of eSmart guidelines and resources to embrace the benefits of technology while reducing children’s exposure to cyber risks. The eSmart Digital Licence+ sees students engaging in an online intelligence-building experience, which explores the knowledge and skills they need to harness the opportunities, as well as deal with the challenges, of the digital world.

Staff Professional Learning

Pauline

Cutajar

Head of Junior SchoolStudent Wellbeing and Development

At Shelford, we are incredibly fortunate to have innovative student wellbeing programs and robust wellbeing support structures. In support of this we are committed to the ongoing professional development of our staff.

This term, there have been three Student WellbeingProfessional Learning workshops delivered to staff by members of our Counselling Team. The first of these was around Test Anxiety.

The session with all staff provided education around the relationship between stress and performance, the differing effects of test anxiety, its symptoms, potential causes and importantly, strategies for supporting students. A Webinar for parents has also been developed on this topic.

At Year 11: the focus is broadened to consider the whole cohort and the legacy they wish to leave behind. Students are asked what their ideal future world looks like and encouraged to consider the behaviours they could adopt to take the first step towards it.

At Year 12: students look towards the world they are about to enter and how to make ethical decisions and manage conflict within the realm of their established values.

In our first few sessions, the buy in from students has been outstanding. The curiosity with which they have approached the discussions and activities is something about which they can be very proud as they look towards the final years of their formal schooling. It is clear the Shelford students wish to consider the influence of their values and beliefs, and positively influence the world around them.

We are pleased to be welcoming several parents to speak with our students later this year and encourage all members of the school community to please get in touch with Julia Lloyd Bruin if they would be available to provide advice, their time at school, or some insight into how their values and ethics have influenced their career choices.

Year 12 Leadership Project

Rebecca

Wright

Year 11-12 Coordinator

The Class of 2023 have engaged in an Ethical Leadership program that challenges students to reflect on the values that are relevant to them as individuals and the values they believe describes their cohort as a collective. At the conclusion of their first session the students decided to encapsulate the values of Kindness, Community and Acceptance in 2023.

With their values statement in mind, the culmination of Semester 1’s program challenged students to devise ways to put these values into action. Part of this action plan included the Class of 2023 devising a leadership, Legacy Project. We challenged students to reflect on the way they could leave Shelford a better place and on ways they could contribute to the school to demonstrate their values.

The Class of 2023 decided on the remodelling of the Paul Simpson Memorial as their legacy project. They devised a proposal for its development including a mission statement that aligned the project to their values and engaged in fundraising efforts to make this project a reality. In Term 3 they look forward to making this project a reality.

Professional Learning workshops were also run on supporting neurodivergent students – one for all staff, and one for VCE teachers. Someone who is neurodivergent processes information, learns, behaves, and communicates in ways that are not typical of most individuals; people who are autistic, have ADHD, dyslexia, or other specific learning disorders fall under the umbrella term of neurodivergence.

While it is unclear how many people are neurodivergent, statistics in Australia range from 12% to 40% of the population. Research suggests that girls are more likely than boys to internalise their difficulties, leading to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Neurodivergent girls also commonly ‘mask’ (hiding or suppressing aspects of their diagnosis to gain greater social acceptance).

These workshops aimed to develop teachers’ understanding of neurodivergence and provided information on how neurodivergence can present in a school setting, as well as practical strategies teachers and staff can use to help these students meet their potential.