What Works Expo

We were thrilled to be invited to share the weThrive:Wellbeing@St Catherine’s program initiatives at the recent Positive Schools Conference. An inaugural event at the annual conference, the ‘What Works Expo’ showcased effective wellbeing programs and strategies from schools around Australia.

As one of nine schools chosen to present, we were proud to share some of our Student Wellbeing program ideas. Our display featured a range of activities designed to promote social and emotional learning, wellbeing and a positive School community. We received excellent feedback from other teachers and schools and enjoyed the opportunity to showcase our whole School program.

The St Catherine’s School display at the Melbourne Convention Centre consisted of an impressive array of photographs, conversation starter cards, continuous loop images on PowerPoint and a colourful flip book from the Junior School. The interest that our ideas and program generated was testament to the great work being undertaken in the School from ELC to Year 12. Classroom teachers and Deans provided a fabulous range of photographs and descriptions of activities as ‘take home’ messages and ideas for teachers in other schools seeking effective ideas and strategies.

The thematic and sequential nature of our program drew particular interest, as did our weThrive banner and images. Each of our Year level themes was featured on a laminated card with visual and textual examples of some of the wellbeing activities particular to that Year’s program. The concept of ‘thriving’ is of course integral to the ethos of the Positive Schools program as Positive Education philosophy urges us to not only cope but to thrive. The term ‘flourishing life’ has been coined by American psychologist Martin Seligman to describe this concept when he describes the building blocks for a life of fulfilment as Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment.

As part of our application to take part in the Expo, we were asked to note some of the ways we think our program has enhanced the St Catherine’s School community. A key observation was the increased student involvement and leadership through establishing a student led Wellbeing Captain and Club in 2015. The A Team was featured in the Expo as a wonderful way to allow students to have greater input in the School community by planning lunchtime wellbeing initiatives.

The A Team fosters greater social cohesion and community spirit between age-groups and Year levels. Their efforts and ideas have led to more colour and fun around the School through posters, hand-made banners, the Wellbeing wall, Colour me Calm lunchtime mandala colouring, the Lucky Fish installation in the Library, the Year 12 Heroes social stream tributes on the Student Wellbeing mystcatherines page, lunchtime ‘Speed Friending’ activities and Giant Twister games. These are just a few of the wonderful activities we have seen since the inception of this proactive group of students. The collaborative efforts of the A Team and the International Club have also been featured in the Harmony Day Celebrations and cultural diversity activities such as the Chinese Handkerchief Lunchtime Dance.

In addition to the Year level themes and activities, the Boarding House weShare motto was featured in the display as an integral part of the program. The recent addition of the student created Gratitude Tree in the Illawarra Dining Room is an example of the positive atmosphere that we strive to create and maintain in this shared space in the girls’ shared home. Just this week the staff were thrilled to be invited to share an ‘American Diner’ experience with the boarders as they planned a fabulous themed dinner, trivia and entertainment. Boarding House captains, Morgan O’Brien and Ruyi Zheng planned a very successful night and Year 11 boarder, Mackenzie Leyden, created a fitting video tribute to the life and laughter the girls share in their second home. As well as conveying the fun they have, the girls expressed their gratitude for the care they receive and the friendships they have made which was a moving way to end a most enjoyable night.

At the end of the evening I expressed my own gratitude and pasted a post-it-note along with the hundreds of others on the Gratitude Tree. “I feel grateful every day to work with such talented colleagues and such inspirational young people…and the French Fries and Chocolate Sundaes were good too!”