Nurturing Hearts and Minds:
A Holistic Approach to Wellbeing

In today’s fast-paced and often challenging world, ensuring the wellbeing of students is more critical than ever. At Swan Valley Anglican Community School (SVACS), we are deeply committed to nurturing the hearts and minds of our Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 students.

We foster an environment where they can thrive academically, physically, emotionally and socially. Central to our approach are several key initiatives: ‘Open Parachute’, ‘You Can Do It!’, ‘Stymie’, and our bespoke SVACS ‘Buddy Program’. Anchored in our Anglican Identity, these initiatives collectively promote inclusion, positive mental health and care, school safety and trust, in addition to a strong sense of respect, community and belonging.

Building Practical Mental Health Skills through the ‘Open Parachute’ Program

At the heart of our SVACS Wellbeing Program lies Open Parachute, a clinically validated, research-based program with a focus on social and emotional development. Through weekly sessions, our students are developing important practical mental health skills that enable them to identify their struggles and use these skills to overcome challenges. By developing these skills, they are learning to trust their own abilities, develop resiliency, and change any unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving.

Open Parachute is about dismantling stigmas and fostering an open dialogue about mental health in our classrooms. By using authentic documentary videos of young Australians who recount their personal journeys of overcoming their personal struggles, a secure and supportive classroom environment is nurtured where our students feel more comfortable about discussing their feelings and challenges.

This year, our Year 7s have been learning skills to manage transition and change, our Year 9s have been learning skills to manage relationships, and our Year 11s have been learning skills to manage stress. The Open Parachute resources are utilised across the primary school years and are readily accessed for the timely teaching of social skills whenever real situations arise in the lives of our students.

‘You Can Do It!’ Social-Emotional Learning in the Early Years

Acknowledging how young brains develop, and knowing the importance of the early acquisition of social-emotional skills (including confidence, resilience, persistence, organisation and getting along with others), we teach the positive and interactive You Can Do It! Program in the Early Years (Pre-Kindergarten to Year 2).

Our youngest children love learning and singing along with the puppets: Connie Confidence, Gabby Get Along, Oscar Organisation, Pete Persistence, and Ricky Resilience.

The You Can Do It! Program complements our holistic pastoral care approach that is founded on knowing each child and ensuring they feel safe and that they belong in our school.

‘Stymie’: Promoting Safety and Accountability

Our safe, calm and supportive learning environment contributes to a sense of wellbeing, and this is where Stymie plays a crucial role. Stymie is an anonymous online reporting service that allows students to report incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, and any other concerning behaviours.

By empowering students to speak up, Stymie helps to address issues swiftly and effectively, ensuring that all students feel safe and supported.

The anonymity provided by Stymie encourages more students to come forward with their concerns, knowing that their identities will be protected. This not only helps in resolving individual incidents, but also fosters a culture of accountability and mutual respect within the School community. Interestingly, the majority of Stymie notifications occur between 3.30pm and 4.00pm as the students travel home after a day at school.

‘SVACS Buddy Program’: Fostering Connection and Belonging

Now in its fourth year, our whole school Buddy Program continues to foster a sense of connection and belonging, which is fundamental to student wellbeing. During Semester One this year, Buddies met on several occasions to connect as we celebrated Harmony Day and our School Value of ‘Excellence.’ The Buddy Program pairs older students with younger ones, providing mentorship and companionship. This Program is an important protective factor that enables students to be resilient as they encounter problems and challenges.

Swan Valley Anglican Community School’s commitment to nurturing hearts and minds exemplifies our holistic approach to education. By fostering mental wellbeing, safety, and a sense of belonging, we are ensuring that our students not only excel academically but also grow into healthy, happy, and well-adjusted young people.

Published in Messenger August 2024