Hello Everyone,

Welcome to another spotlight on Mental Health and Wellbeing.

One of our key expectations at St Catherine’s is that students are respectful. This is currently a major focus within the school, and as highlighted by Mrs Viney in her Principal’s Report, a new initiative has been introduced to help promote respect and psychological safety.

With this in mind, I’d like to explore how respect and being respectful are closely linked to a student’s wellbeing. Respectful relationships are fundamental to student success at school and include connections between teachers and students, as well as between peers. Through these relationships, individuals can communicate effectively and work together to achieve shared goals.

Respectful relationships are built on mutual:

• Trust
• Honesty
• Equality
• Respect

Some key features of respectful relationships include:

Open communication: expressing needs, actively listening, and regularly checking in

Empathy: understanding and caring about how others feel

Boundaries: acknowledging and respecting personal limits

Support: offering encouragement and help when needed

Equality: valuing everyone’s opinions, contributions, and rights

Teaching students what respect looks like and giving them the tools to build respectful relationships happens both informally, through modelling and daily interaction, and as part of our Personal and Social Capability curriculum.

When students experience respectful relationships with both adults and peers, it positively supports their wellbeing. They feel safe, included, and supported, which are all essential for learning and personal growth.

If you have any concerns about your child’s mental health and wellbeing, please don’t hesitate to contact their classroom teacher.

Warm regards,

Jasmine Bentley

Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader