Social & Emotional Learning

Reservoir West Primary School is committed to the implementation of a whole school approach to Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) that promotes inclusivity. SEL is integral to the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of all students. Our message is that every member of the school community has a right to learn, the right to feel safe, is responsible for learning and behaviour and how to achieve respectful relationships, both within oneself and with peers and the wider community. We strive to educate our students to build on their strengths, overcome their challenges and value respect, responsibility and resilience.

We provide a safe and secure environment for students to develop their social and emotional awareness, along with skills and strategies toensure social and emotional wellbeing.

PURPOSE

Promoting students’ social and emotional competency has direct and indirect influence on numerous scholastic factors including individual students’ attachment to school, better academic performance and success in school life. SEL can be and should be taught explicitly via classroom instruction. When taught effectively, SEL can develop a student’s ability to recognise and manage emotions, show care and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships and handle challenging situations effectively.

How do we teach SEL?

We teach SEL explicitly in the classroom across various key Victorian Curriculum learning areas including the Personal Learning and Health and Physical Education domains.

Our Wellbeing Program incorporates the following five interrelated SEL areas of competence:

1. Self-awareness - Understanding feelings, self-confidence
2. Self-management - Managing emotions, being able to set goals and stick to them
3. Social-awareness - Respecting and understanding others, and appreciating differences between people
4. Relationship skills – Co-operating, communicating, making friends and resolving conflict
5. Responsible decision-making - Choosing wisely and thoughtfully

Our Wellbeing Learning Program engages the following supports to create a positive, inclusive and supportive school climate:

• Learning to Learn - a program to begin the year with lessons promoting a love of learning, strengths, community, collaboration and reflection.
• The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) learning materials
• Sexuality Education - Talking the Talk (Vanessa Hamilton)
• The Resilience Project
• Berry Street Education

Wellbeing Learning Scope and Sequence

Learning to Learn - consists of a two-week period during Term One relating specifically to:

• building community purposefully and collaboratively create a class agreement developing a shared understanding of school values, rights and responsibilities, the RWPS Agreed Behaviour Matrix, and Student Behaviour Flow Chart with specific expectations explicitly taught
• setting up opportunities for students to have ownership of learning
• being a good digital citizen (Years Three - Six)
• promoting student voice and agency to set up classroom displays, a positive and inclusive learning environment
• creating opportunities to talk about feelings and self-regulating practices
• set up collaborative problem-solving strategies to find solutions
• foster friendships and a sense of belonging
• make learning fun and enjoyable, and create habits of reflection

RWPS Wellbeing Learning Scope and Sequence Overview