St Joseph’s School at Murray Bridge is partnering with the world-renowned Resilience Project, as part of their focus on student wellbeing.
St Joseph’s is the first Catholic school to become a partner school with the project and only the second in South Australia, with Westminster College also involved.
The Resilience Project was founded by Hugh van Cuylenburg who has worked in education for over 15 years, teaching both primary and secondary in a range of educational settings.
Hugh developed the project after spending a year in the far north of India volunteering and living at an underprivileged school and was inspired by the level of resilience and how happy the people were, despite having very little to call their own.
The Project, which has been evaluated by the University of Melbourne, provides practical, evidence-based mental health strategies to build resilience and happiness via engaging sessions with schools, sports clubs and businesses.
Hugh has developed and facilitated programs for over 900 schools Australia wide.
To be implemented in 2021, gratitude, mindfulness, and empathy will be the focus of the program for students at St Joseph’s. Students will learn skills and strategies that will help them become more resilient and able to overcome life’s challenges.
With the school expanding to become a Reception to Year 9 school by 2023, teachers at St Joseph’s wanted a program that really focused on the mental wellbeing of students, that is easy for children and young people of all ages to understand and can easily be incorporated into the school curriculum.
Deputy principal Erika Dixon said issues arising for students this year included increased anxiety and difficulties in their relationships with each other and their families.
“It has become clear that students of all ages at the school need extra support. There has been lots of online issues, with students getting themselves into situations that are well above their ability to cope and manage,” she said.
Teacher Rachel Law who is coordinating the program at St Joseph’s said the program will involve not only students but their families also.
“The program will run in classrooms for an hour each week and there will be activities that parents can do at home with their children,” she said.
“The staff see it as being a really worthwhile project because if the child’s wellbeing is good and they are resilient, they can learn a lot better in the classroom.”
The Resilience Project founder and director Hugh Van Cuylenburg will deliver a live webinar to teachers early in 2021 and for parents and carers in Term 1.
The project is just one part of a continued focus on delivering a high quality Catholic education and enhanced wellbeing support for students as St Joseph’s as it prepares to become an R-9 school, while significantly decreasing school fees.
A $6.2 million development is currently underway to make room for the new middle school students, set to open with Year 7 and 8 in 2022, which will include specialist STEM and arts facilities, together with food technology and digital media facilities.
Pictured: Students Majeanella, Joshua, Adelaide and Bailey with Deb Holland, APRIM St Joseph’s School Murray Bridge.
The South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS) is pleased to announce the formation of Catholic School Parents SA as the new representative body of Catholic school parents.
