Student Wellbeing

Wodonga South Primary School operates within a relational learning model.  At Wodonga South, we believe that relationships underpin the success of effective school operation.  Wodonga South actively promotes positive relationships as part of our schools’ culture.  As such, all teachers and staff operate on a first-name basis with students.

Our schools’ My Mate program has recently received a Victorian Teachers Credit Union State Teaching Initiative Program Award.

Students participate in a range of programs designed to develop social and emotional wellbeing.

Mates

Mates is a life skills program operating in all classes throughout the school.  Mates seeks to help students to develop the knowledge, processes, skills and attitudes necessary to function in their changing life role and situations.   The mates program comprises four different areas; Mates, My mate, School mates and Our mate. 

Mates primary delivery mode is circle time.  This occurs within class groups for approximately half an hour per week.  It is a time where children and their teachers take part in games and activities designed to increase students understanding and valuing of self, others and positive relationships.

My Mate is a joint program between Wodonga South Primary School and Latrobe University Wodonga.  My mates aims to align a young adult mentor to a student who is experiencing social well-being issues at school. They meet regularly to focus on education tutoring and goal setting activities. 

School Mates involves groups of 20 students from prep through to year six participating in ‘circle time’ chats. These chats occur fortnightly for half an hour and are aimed to develop a sense of cohesiveness and community within the school.

Our Mate involves each classroom adopting a member of the community as their classroom ‘mate’, involving the wider community in the lives of Wodonga South students.  Community members focus on sharing his/her life experiences and special interests.  Our mate reinforces community values.

 Resilient Together

Year five and six students participate in a drug harm minimisation program, run in partnership between Wodonga South Primary School, La Trobe University and Upper Hume Community Health.  This program raises awareness of how drugs can affect people, their families and the community and ensure students have the knowledge and skills to make appropriate decisions in regards to drug use.   

Rock and Water

This is a fun and energetic program run with a group of year five and six boys at Wodonga South.  It focuses on developing self-confidence, respect, discipline and tolerance.

 Restorative Practice

Restorative practice is an approach to managing student behaviour that aims to develop students’ ability to take responsibility for their actions and to restore relationships harmed by the actions of another.