INSIGHT STUDENT WELLBEING NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 1

Term 2 – June

WELCOME TO THE FIRST ISSUE OF INSIGHT! IN THIS ISSUE

Student Wellbeing Newsletter

Welcome, parents, to the first issue of You Can Do It!

INSIGHT, Robina State School’s Student The You Can Do It! Program commenced Wellbeing newsletter. This newsletter will in Term 1. The school curricula of this be released once a term, and will provide program align to the Personal and Social many tips on how to improve student/self Capabilities learning framework of the

wellbeing, as well as any news or current Australian national curriculum (ACARA). events happening. This Term the You Can Do It program will Cyber Bullying Let me introduce myself. My name is focus on Relationships, for grades 1-6 Cyberbullying is the use of technology to bully a Cherie Andrews, I am the Student (Preps lesson focus for the Term will be on person or group with the intent to hurt them socially, Wellbeing teacher at Robina State School. confidence and organisation). Students will psychologically or even physically. I commenced this new role mid term 1. I be learning about values, characters work Mon-Thurs and am based in the strengths and getting along skills. Page # 2 admin building. Topics such as freedom, equality, making friends, solving conflicts amongst peer My role at Robina State School involves groups, and empathy are just a handful of running the You Can Do It program, from topics that will be covered. Prep-6. This program teaches students to become more resilient, confident, You may hear your child talking about the organised and persistent learners, as well characters within the program. These are: as getting along with one another. This - Gabby and Gary Get Along results in an improvement in student - Oscar and Olivia Organisation motivation, achievement and wellbeing. - Pete and Penny Persistence - Connie and Charlie Confidence My role also involves working closely with - Ricky and Rosie Resilience Paul McGuire, our school Chaplin, to assist students in all aspects of wellbeing. Our school Responsible Behaviour Plan Providing assistance to children who has also been updated to weave these maybe suffering from anxiety, behavioural characters throughout, including newly School concerns, past/current grief/trauma, and designed student of the week certificates. Holiday Fun! social/emotional issues. Fun activities to do with the kids these holidays! Page #5 INSIGHT STUDENT WELLBEING NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 1 2

Cyber Bullying By: esafety.gov.au Sometimes cyber bullying feels like a clearly and figure out minefield. As a parent, it can be hard to an appropriate understand what your child is going response. through, both socially and emotionally – especially if you’ve never experiences Listen, connect, gather cyber bullying yourself. information, pause

Up until now, you’ve been helping to Empathise with write your child’s story, but as they your child—they grow, you become more of an ‘assistant may be hurt, editor’. frightened and Protect Despite what your child might tell you, angry. Let them know that these feelings are normal. Gather information you can still offer valuable advice. If your child is being threatened, or if Remember that it’s important to stay about the severity of the bullying. Does it exist in a peer group or is it more they indicate thoughts of harm towards involved in their online lives to help themselves, they need to be protected. guide them through the tough widespread? Collect any screenshots of the cyberbullying to show what’s Call the police immediately if their times. They actually want you to be physical safety is at risk. If you see the there … but in a way that makes them been happening. Reassure your child that once you’ve had some time to marked changes in behaviour, get help. feel comfortable. We can help you Cyberbullying can be reported to the with real stories, practical advice, think, you will come together again and talk through some options. If they feel social media service and complaints and everything you need to help your of serious cyberbullying can be child report cyber bullying. like they need to talk in the meantime, let them know you are there. reported via As parents, it can be hard to know how to respond to cyberbullying. Sometimes Stay connected to family, trusted friends and Talk over the options it’s an extension of what is happening activities at school or in other offline spaces. Help guide your child in their decision When translated to the online world it Encourage your child to maintain safe making rather than telling them what to can take many forms, such as abusive and positive connections with family do. Wherever possible, try to empower messages, nasty online gossip and and friends outside of school. This is your child, and help them to make wise excluding others. It can have a especially important when things go decisions for themselves. If you feel devastating impact on a young person, wrong at school and to help them they may be struggling to open up to whose online life may be an important through the hard times. This can be you, then connect them with other part of their social identity. through activities and interests with trusted adults or with professional other young people, like sports and support. Young people may not tell their parents dance, or through connections with the about it because of fear that it might extended family. It’s really important to Help them understand make things worse for them or they help your child create places in their If your child is cyberbullying others, it’s may lose access to their devices and real world where they feel safe. These important to help them understand the the Internet. It’s important to ensure things will also remind your child that impacts of their behaviour. Early that your child has access to the right they are loved and lovable. intervention can help stop harmful kind of support and maintains positive behaviour before it becomes habitual connections at home and through other Show that you care and entrenched. Professional support activities and interests. Check in with your child from time-to- through a psychologist, Kids Helpline or time about how they are going. Keep an eheadspace can help. Here are some tips on how to respond: eye on their eating and sleeping habits, their ability to concentrate and make ** Please refer to the following image Don’t panic decisions and their overall mood. If you (overleaf) for age limits regarding notice any marked, sustained changes, children using social media Learning that your child is being seek help from a psychologist or other cyberbullied can make you feel angry, mental health professional. Kids Head to hurt, scared—or, if you have your own Helpline on 1800 55 1800 and https://www.esafety.gov.au/education- experience with bullying, it may even eheadspace (12-25 years old) on resources/iparent trigger your trauma. It’s important to 1800 650 890 provide confidential where you can learn about the digital respond calmly rather than to react in a advice and support. environment and how to help your child have negative way. Try not to respond until safe and enjoyable online experiences. you’ve had time to process your emotions. This can help you think more INSIGHT STUDENT WELLBEING NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 1 3

• • Triple-P Parenting• Positive Parenting Program

What Is Triple P?

Triple P is an internationally acclaimed parenting program which is offered free to all Queensland parents and carers of children up to Phone consultations 16 years of age. Triple P is • Call Parentline on 1300 30 1300 (for considered one of the world’s best the cost of a local call) seven days a because it has been scientifically week, from 8am to 10pm. shown to work and because it’s already helped more than four million children and their families in more • One-on-one sessions with a Triple P than 25 countries. The Queensland provider Government is now offering Triple P Personal sessions could be a few quick free as part of its commitment to meetings or, if you need more support, supporting families across the state. a ten-week course.

What Does Triple P Do? • Group sessions (see timetable below) Triple P helps you: There’s something for everyone – with one-off seminars, two-hour workshops • Raise happy, confident kids and longer courses – all done in the • Manage misbehaviour so everyone company of other parents. in the family enjoys life more • Set rules and routines that • Triple P Online everyone respects and follows Get all the positive parenting strategies • Encourage behaviour you like in an eight-module course you do • Take care of yourself as a parent whenever, wherever you want. • Feel confident you’re doing the right thing And in case you’re wondering…Triple P won’t tell you how to be a parent. It’s How Do You Do Triple P In Qld? more like a toolbox of ideas. You Because all families are different, choose the strategies you need. You Triple P has a range of ways to get choose the way you want to use them. your positive parenting program. So, It’s all about making Triple P work for if you’d like to do Triple P free in you! Queensland you can choose from:

• • • • •

•

• • • • • • INSIGHT STUDENT WELLBEING NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 1 4

boisterous around this age? This could be an explanation why!

8 years old

If your eight-year-old has suddenly become more tearful, or bad tempered, it could be due to the preparatory stage

before puberty. This stage is more likely to cause an upheaval for boys than girls. It could result in more tears, but Mindfulness for kids also more aggression in an insecure boy. The key is to be understanding, Mindfulness is a whole body- and if he has a meltdown, choose a mind state of awareness that time to discuss it when he will feel involves ‘tuning in’ to the calmer. present moment, with openness and curiosity, instead of ‘tuning Never tell a boy NOT to cry out’ from experience.

“Over time we have become better at Research shows that encouraging boys to show their mindfulness training increases emotions, however we need to be connectivity in the frontal lobe of reminded that there is still a very the brain, which is linked to widespread suppression of emotion in improved attention, memory Raising Boys boys” Biddulph says. If boys don’t cry it processing and decision making Eminent Australian psychologist Steve will come out in other ways, often as abilities. Biddulph is the author of the well-known anger or violence. Biddulph advises book Raising Boys, first published in parents to stand beside or hug them Each issue of Insight will 1998. He has completed decades of when they are crying and affirm them provide you with an idea of study and research behind how boys by saying, “You really care, you’re a how to practice mindfulness develop their social and emotional great boy” or “It’s really sad what’s with your child/ren. resilience, and factors influencing happened”. school success. The best thing parents can do to Talk to your son about Porn help your children become more Below are some interesting points I mindful is to commit to some have extracted from an article Just under half of all Australian children regular mindfulness practises published by Rachel Carlyle, on Steve aged 9-16 have viewed pornography, yourselves! The more present Biddulph’s studies, that explains that according to the Australian Institute of and mindful you are with your Family Studies. boys have particular times (in the first, children, the more happy, th th Biddulph is concerned that boys will 4 and 8 year of life, and during mindful and resilient your begin to develop a false sense of reality puberty), when doing the right thing is children will be. critical). when it comes to forming healthy sexual relationships. He says parents Mindfulness training can assist “It is important for parents growing boys need to talk to their children about it; parents to remain in the present to know that most males are slower at “Parents have to say to their boys ‘You moment and engage more fully learning to talk, read and write than are going to see this stuff on the when interacting with their most girls. Most start puberty a year or internet, and it’s very inaccurate about children. two later than girls. Boys puberty how couples make love’, tell them it can doesn’t end until they are about 17, and be harmful to keep looking at such • Mindful play: Dedicate a their brains don’t fully mature until their material, and don’t make your son feel window of time each week 20’s. These things matter if you have a bad for being curious…instead explain to mindfully play with your boy to raise, and keep alive” Biddulph that you want to guard him against child or children. Turn off all says. Biddulph outlines certain being addicted” Biddulph says. other distractions such as developmental milestones in a boy’s TV, and put your mobile life. Limits on gaming/screen time away and on silent. Try to give them your full attention “Kids are not good at putting limits on 4 years old during this time and if your themselves because of their immature mind wanders off to all the Biddulph mentions that boys brain development. One of our jobs as parents is to provide these limits”. things you should be doing, experience a mini-puberty at 4 years that’s fine – that’s just what old, when there is believed to be Biddulph concerns lie with the fact that screens are isolating. You don’t get to minds do! Use your child as doubling of testosterone. Did your 4- an anchor to come back to year-old son become increasingly learn social skills, and you don’t share your worries. Too much screen time every time your mind can be detrimental. wanders away.

INSIGHT STUDENT WELLBEING NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 1 5

PACIFIC FAIR Marine Biologist Field Day Coastal Bike Challenge PLAY ZONE LOCATIONS AND (Mangroves, Marine Wildlife Get on your bike (or on the back of TIMES & Beach) one) and join us on our coastal Nick Activity Centre Be a marine biologist for a day and treasure hunt. Solve puzzles and Where: Centre Court, outside Myer riddles on the way for prizes. Learn When: 10am – 4pm daily learn what is involved in their day-to- about our coastal features and the day job! Ask our in-house marine work that is being done to protect our Junkyard biologist questions about our mini coastline. Build a junkyard balloon car just like marine life and mangroves, learn to dig a turtle nest and investigate Nick Jr.'s Rusty Rivets by reusing All ages. Bookings required. Kids microorganisms under a microscope! unwanted items and creating a under five years of age are free. unique, self-powered car using parts Ages 7 years +. Limited spaces headed for recycling available. Bookings required. $7.50 per $5 per adult + $2 per child. Where: The Resort child. When: 10am – 4pm daily Meet at Tugun Surf Life Saving Club Meet at the undercover area near the car park. Rusty Rivets Meet & Greet Phil Hill Environmental Park car park. https://www.griffith.edu.au/cities- Meet Rusty from Nick Jr.'s hit show Rusty Rivets https://www.griffith.edu.au/cities- research-institute/griffith-centre- Where: Level 1, near Event Cinemas research-institute/griffith-centre- coastal-management/news- When: 10am – 4pm daily (rotating coastal-management/news- events/school-holiday- 20 minute appearances with a 20 events/school-holiday- programs/expression-of-interest minute break) programs/expression-of-interest

Shimmer and Shine Craft Area Use your magic to get craft in the ROBINA Nick Jr.'s workshop LIBRARY Where: The Resort, near JD Sports When: 10am – 4pm daily Bookings: cityofgoldcoast.co Shimmer and Shine Meet & Greet m.au/libraryevents Meet and get a photo with your favourite genies, Nick Jr.'s Shimmer OR ph: 5581 1600 & Shine! Where: The Resort, near JD Sports When: 10am – 4pm daily (rotating 20 minute appearances with a 20 minute break)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Inflatable Obstacle Course Crawl your way through the 10- meter-long Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Inflatable Obstacle Course Where: Riverwalk. Entry via the doors near JB HiFi for access When: 10am – 4pm daily