Student Wellbeing & Child Safety
ST ANTHONY'S PRIMARY SCHOOL
Glen Huntly
Student Wellbeing
“I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10
At St Anthony’s wellbeing "is a state of being well in body, mind and spirit.” (Horizon’s of Hope Wellbeing Foundation Statement, p 2). At the heart of our school is our commitment to wellbeing. We aim to provide a safe, respectful and engaging learning environment knowing that each individual’s wellbeing is intrinsically linked to their personal and academic success. The children in our care are provided with explicit teaching experiences to learn, practise and apply social and emotional competencies in order to enhance and support their personal and interpersonal development.
Wellbeing, Learning and Lifelong Commitment
Our curriculum content includes a focus on developing social skills and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) that develops the five core competencies - self- awareness, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making and relationship skills.
At St Anthony’s our approach to wellbeing is grounded in evidence-based practice which draws on research and the science of positive psychology. We use a variety of resources, strategies, physical spaces and opportunities to ensure that our students develop a healthy mind and body. Some of these are Christian Meditation, The Resilience Project: Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness, Peaceful Kids and Peaceful Classrooms, Lunchtime Clubs - Art Club, DigiTech Club, Quiet Club, Protective Behaviours – Daniel Morcombe Program and Growth Mindset.
Child Safety
At St. Anthony's School, we prioritize the care, safety, and overall well-being of every child in our Parish school. This commitment stems from our core values and teachings inspired by Jesus Christ, with a focus on love, justice, and the sanctity of each individual. We firmly believe that protecting and nurturing children is not just our responsibility, but also our privilege and honour.
As a faith community guided by the teachings and mission of Jesus, we at St. Anthony's School are committed to child safety. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards child abuse and actively work towards creating a safe and nurturing environment for all our students. Our policies and procedures are designed to empower our staff, volunteers, and leadership team to promote physical, emotional, and social safety for all children.
We also recognize the importance of cultural sensitivity and educating parents, teachers, and students about child safety. Our commitment extends to protecting the most vulnerable children in our community, including those from diverse cultural and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, those with disabilities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
At St. Anthony's School, we believe in the inherent dignity of every child and their right to be respected and nurtured in a safe school environment. We take all allegations and concerns regarding child safety seriously and will respond to them appropriately.
We recognize the importance of continually improving our practices to prevent abuse and harm from occurring in the first place. Creating a child-safe environment is an ongoing process that requires the participation and responsibility of our entire community, including staff, families, and students.
At St. Anthony's School, we are dedicated to ensuring that the safety and well-being of our students are at the forefront of every decision we make. Every person in our community plays an essential role in this effort, and we strive to work together to achieve our goal of creating a safe and supportive environment for all.
Learning Diversity
“All students regardless of race, age or gender, by virtue of their dignity as human persons, have a right to an education that is suited to their particular needs and adapted to their ability.”
(Pope Paul VI, 1965)
At St Anthony’s we celebrate diversity and difference amongst our students, staff and families, recognizing that each person is unique and inherently valued. Learning Diversity ‘emcompasses all learners and refers to the variety of life experiences and attributes a child brings to their formal learning at school’. (Horizons of Hope, Learning Diversity Foundation Statement, page 2). This statement refers to students who may have exceptional ability or disability present.
Our learning and teaching programs are designed to cater for the individual needs of students so that each student experiences success in learning and in life. In our commitment to inclusion, and underpinned by research, we use the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Response to Intervention (RtI) as a means of designing learning which meets the needs of all students. Learning experiences are designed using a data-driven decision making process where assessment is used to monitor student progress over time. We prioritize early intervention and make reasonable adjustments to support the full flourishing of every student.