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A School of the Sacred Heart

Student Wellbeing

Stuartholme’s Wellbeing Program recognises the vital role every member of our community plays in the support of our students. Our unique model is deliberately designed to ensure our parents, staff and students’ capacity is developed through a range of teaching and learning opportunities, including our bespoke project – The Lab.

The Lab Project provides all the tools and resources to our parents that we concurrently share with our teaching staff.  We have also extended the project to include The Lab for Educators, where we engage with staff from other schools to build our collective capacity. We were thrilled our program has been recognised as a finalist in the Australian Education Awards – Best Student Wellbeing Program.

At the heart of Stuartholme are our students. We challenge the girls in a supportive and affirming environment to reach their potential in all areas of development- spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. We encourage girls to contribute to the life of the school to help create this rich community. Central to achieving this are open, positive relationships based on respect and trust, that is, relationships between all who form this community called ‘Stuartholme’- the girls, staff, families and the wider community.

In keeping with the Australian Curriculum, the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework, agreed State-based wellbeing domains and the Five Sacred Heart Goals, we support students to develop an understanding of themselves within a global community to become independent, responsible individuals who are capable of contributing meaningfully to society.


Principles for Success – What the Research Tells Us

A number of principles emerging from the research guide our practices in Student Wellbeing:

  • Implementing well-articulated policies and practices in student wellbeing.
  • Supporting staff wellbeing.
  • Utilising a data driven approach.
  • Fostering a highly relational culture.
  • Communicating progress regularly.
  • Playing clearly defined roles.
  • Implementing a proactive Wise Wellness program.
  • Building leadership capacity.

The Lab

The Lab is a bespoke project working in partnership with parents to develop their capacity to support their daughter’s journey. Our parents/community are the third side of our ‘Wellbeing Pyramid’ and why Stuartholme’s student wellbeing program is achieving results.

The Lab Project provides all the tools and resources to our parents that we concurrently share with our teaching staff.  The first successful parents coaching parents workshop took place on Thursday 19 November 2020 to a full house and supported parents to share key strategies for tackling issues focussed on social boundaries, technology and friendship.

Our parent portal – MyStuartholme ensures that our parents who span rural and remote Indigenous communities through to the Brisbane CBD have full access to resources.

By using a range of engagement methods which also include live-streaming panel discussions, international guest speakers and information sharing, the school is ensuring our parent community has access to the wellbeing toolkit required to support our students with the life skills required to succeed, live balanced lives and thrive.

 


Student Wellbeing Staff

While we regard all members of staff as part of the Wellbeing team, the Teacher Mentors, Leaders of Student Wellbeing, the School Psychologists, Boarding staff and the Dean of Student Wellbeing play specific and targeted roles in caring for and empowering the girls to discover their point of balance where their wellbeing is maximised. We all strive to create a community in which every activity and interaction enhances the wellbeing of all. Together we strive to celebrate successes, support one another in times of need and so create a community that lives out the spirit of Cor Unum –One Heart.


Our Close Partnership with Parents

A hallmark of the approach to wellbeing at Stuartholme is the close bond with our parents. We have worked together, both in the real world and online, to always be bigger, wiser and stronger.  Through our parent portal, fortnightly school newsletter articles and Parents of Stuartholme Forum we endeavour to support parents with advice and guidance on a range of topics. By working with parents we optimise the chance for every single girl to be the very best that she can be.


Organisation of the Wellbeing Structure – Our Key to Success in Caring

The Leaders of Student Wellbeing for each Year level and the Teacher Mentors of each House group in the Year level move with their group through the Junior Years 7-9, and then begin a new cycle with a new leader of Student Wellbeing and Teacher Mentor who will follow them through their three years of Senior schooling, Years 10-12. Girls are involved in activities within their year level and also in activities within their House which includes girls from Years 7 to 12. All students begin the day with a meeting in their Teacher Mentor Group, numbering approximately 20 girls with whom they will move through their years at Stuartholme.

We have enjoyable whole school activities throughout the year which help build connectedness to community; one of the essentials to a strong sense of wellbeing. These include Madeleine Sophie Day celebrations and House activities such as Sports Carnivals and Choral competition.

The school also has a Wise Wellness program delivered in regular lessons in the school timetable.


Wise Wellness Program

The essence of a Sacred Heart school is that it is deeply concerned for each student’s total development-spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical”. Sr Suzanne Cooke, rscJ.

Wise Wellness lessons are based on firm evidence from research which clearly links wellbeing with academic success.  The program is a proactive team approach underpinned by our model which aims to build students’ resilience and maximise their success. It includes the partnership with parents and is centred on the Five Sacred Heart Goals. Consistent with research the program covers Self Awareness, Self-management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision Making.

The program includes:

  • coping with adversity; handling challenging situations constructively
  • giving strategies to build and maintain strong mental health
  • developing healthy, positive relationships; being aware of bullying and having the capacity to stand up against it
  • recognising and regulating emotions
  • developing empathy for and understanding of others
  • making responsible, informed decisions
  • working effectively in teams
  • becoming academically resilient and tenacious
  • understanding their core strengths and their ability to develop new strengths
  • developing a sense of connectedness to the school and broader community
  • developing independence and leadership

In the formation of young women at Stuartholme, we proudly advocate a focus on educating the whole girl. We encourage academic success, but never to the detriment of a student’s wellbeing.

 

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Acknowledgment of First Peoples:
© Stuartholme School 2024