THE ARIS PERSONAL WELLBEING MODEL
Our wellbeing curriculum is designed around this model, which seeks to incorporate the ATL skills of thinking, communication, Self Management, research, and Social/ collaboration. At the end of their time at ARIS, students would have picked up the IB learner profiles of being reflective, caring, knowledgeable, Open- minded, balanced, and a risk taker through the wellbeing program.
As part of this academic year’s theme to embrace “The Eagle Within,” the wellbeing department has been actively engaging students, staff, and parents in classroom discussions, workshops, and online training. October has been an eventful month and here are summaries of what we have been up to.
Wellbeing Classes in Secondary
Welcoming our students back to school has been an exciting experience. The delivery of our curriculum took a slightly different turn this year to accommodate the growing concerns of our community. In view of this, Year 7-9 classes commenced the Health, Mind and Body module of our wellbeing curriculum which involves topics on Personal Hygiene and Puberty, Body Image and Mental Health, Addictive Behaviours, Mindfulness and Safe and Healthy Relationships. Students have found this module particularly engaging as the issues discussed are very topical and easy to relate with. On the other hand, students in Years 10-12 have commenced with the module- Embracing Diversity. The topics being discussed include the awareness and understanding of the differences around them, exploring several socio-cultural environments and how the knowledge they obtain can be applied to individual settings, racism, discrimination, prejudice and being advocates of fair and equal rights for all.
We have had several conversations from debates to presentations especially on addictive behaviours as these have become issues of both national and global concern. We want our students to have the necessary skills to be empowered in their decision making as they interact among themselves and with the world around them.
Wellbeing Wednesday and Staff Activities
Wellbeing Wednesday is always refreshing for our staff as they get an early release and are also treated to snacks every month. This semester, we have also introduced wellness activities like mindfulness and yoga sessions on Fridays and workout sessions on Wednesdays known as “Wake-up Wednesday”. This is an opportunity for our educators to de-stress and boosts their health and wellbeing.
Staff Refresher Trainings
This semester, we have also introduced a weekly refresher training for our teaching staff and attendants on best practices for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Mindfulness, Child Protection, Substance Misuse, Confidentiality and more. These weekly sessions provide a space for our educators to engage in conversations about their work, and global standards, share experiences and learn about new and effective ways of promoting wellbeing in their classrooms.
We also use this time to answer pressing questions and discuss cases in our community to keep us all on the same page.
Mental Health and Wellbeing SA Projects
The Wellbeing Department always receives a large number of mental health related Service Action projects this year. From creating anonymous boxes with questions and answers on mental health to speaking to junior classes on substance misuse, bullying and anxiety, all the way to using make-up as self-care and therapy. Our students have been phenomenal in showing how they can influence the world through service, and it is very inspiring to see students taking a stand to fix real world problems.
Exam Cafe
The second edition of the ARIS Exam Cafe was organised for our Year 13 students as an intervention that focuses on reducing stress through providing strategies for time management, relaxation and healthy goal-setting. Students were engaged in conversations on effective time management and preparing for life after ARIS. They also had a wonderful session on breathing techniques and stress management with a psychomotor therapist, Aline Veeser from the MMC Polyclinic.
Recommended Sleep Requirements for Students
Students continue to report irregular sleep patterns, and for some, it has had an impact on their stress levels, learning, and emotional health. To ensure the healthy growth and development of our students at ARIS, the amount of sleep they get each day is important, as it also contributes to their health and wellbeing. Following relevant research, the ARIS Counselling and Wellbeing Department would like to recommend the following sleep schedules to parents;
| Pre-teens | 6–12 years | 9 hours each day |
| Teenagers | 13–18 years | 8 hours each day |
Until the next time take good care of yourselves and we look forward to sharing more exciting things with you in the coming months.