Student Wellbeing

St John Vianney's Mulgrave

At St John Vianney’s, student wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. We believe that when students feel safe, valued and connected, they are empowered to learn and thrive. Every staff member shares a commitment to nurturing the wellbeing of all students in our care.

At St. John Vianney's, we strive to:

Build strong, respectful, and caring relationships across our school community.
Create a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment that supports learning and personal growth.
Strengthen partnerships with families and the wider community to enhance student wellbeing.
Support students to develop social, emotional and interpersonal skills that promote resilience and empathy.
Engage all learners in proactive wellbeing practices that focus on growth, prevention and early support.

Student Wellbeing Leader

While student wellbeing is the shared responsibility of all staff, our school has a dedicated Student Wellbeing Leader who provides support to students, families and staff. This role focuses on:

Promoting and coordinating wellbeing initiatives and programs.
Providing guidance and assistance in wellbeing matters.
Supporting the development of a positive and inclusive school culture.
Ensuring the consistent implementation of wellbeing practices across the school.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

Our Positive Behaviour Code

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

At St John Vianney’s, we follow a Positive Behaviour for Learning approach that encourages students to make positive choices, take responsibility for their actions and contribute to a respectful and caring school community.

Our Positive Behaviour Values helps guide how we treat ourselves, others and our environment. The three values which guide all that we do are Responsibility, Respect and Resilience.

When challenges arise, we focus on learning and growth. We talk through the situation, reflect on what happened, and work together to find positive ways forward.

Student Wellbeing Programs

Programs to support Student Wellbeing

Buddy Program

All students at St John Vianney’s are part of the buddy program. Older students are buddied up with younger students to help build connection and offer support. Our older students love the responsibility of looking after younger students and our junior school students’ look up to their older buddy.

From time to time the buddies engage in various learning activities. The Senior students take
and sit with their buddy at the Friday Mass in Term 2 & 3.

Student Leadership

Student leadership provides an opportunity for students to actively participate in the decision-making processes at our school. At St. John Vianney’s Year 6 students are encouraged to take on leadership roles in an endeavour to increase their own leadership skills and to act as effective role models for the student body. The students are able to apply for these roles and are voted into Leadership Roles by their peers and endorsed by staff. Our school believes that by encouraging student leadership we are developing our community leaders of the future.

SRC - Student Representative Council

St John Vianney's has introduced an SRC (Student Representative Council) which is a group of students elected by their fellow students to represent all students in the school. The SRC works democratically to represent the student body in school decision-making and organise ways for students to participate in school life. Foci for the SRC could include but not limited to positive playground behaviour, support with events and raising awareness of facets of school life.

RRRR - Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships

St John Vianney's Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships program is the basis of our Classroom Wellbeing Curriculum. It is designed to develop students’ social, emotional and positive relationship skills. The program covers areas such as Emotional Literacy, Personal Strengths, Positive Coping and Problem Solving. Through explicit teaching of these skills, students develop their personal and social capabilities.

The Resilience Project

We use a whole school approach to wellbeing.The school is part of the Resilience Project which is a wellbeing program that teaches and supports positive mental health in the classroom, staffroom and wider community. Our program is emotionally engaging, practical, proven to have impact through evidence based evaluations, and is delivered in 800+ schools. The program focuses on: Gratitude, Empathy, mindfulness and Emotional Literacy.Teachers equip students with strategies to support their personal wellbeing and those around them.

Anti-Bullying

We believe that all students have the right to feel safe and be safe in the school environment. St. John Vianney’s is a no bullying school with a zero tolerance to all types of bullying. All members of the school community are committed to ensuring a safe and caring environment, which promotes personal growth and positive self-esteem for all.

Bullying is an act of aggression causing embarrassment, pain or discomfort to another. It is based on threat and fear and is a clear form of harassment. Bullying is described as “repeated attack, physical, psychological, social or verbal in nature, by those in a position of power, which is formally or situationally defined, with the intention of causing distress for their own gain or satisfaction.” (School Principal’s Legal Guide).

Cybersafety - eSmart

St. John Vianney’s is a eSmart school. As part of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, a national charity that protects children from violence we are an accredited eSmart school. It is designed to help manage cybersafety and deal with cyberbullying issues.

Cybersafety is taught from Foundation to Year 6 as part of our Digital Technologies program.

School Psychologist/Counsellor

The school uses the services of an accredited Psychologist. The psychologist comes to see referred students regularly during school time. This service is free and confidential but must be accessed through a referral from the child’s GP and a Medicare Mental Health plan.
The school uses the expertise of Monash University Students who are completing their Masters in Counselling and require placement. Counselling can also be arranged using this service.