Principal's Report
At St Joseph's, we know that students’ wellbeing is essential to their learning and overall development. Our teachers work every day to create a safe and nurturing environment where students feel supported, valued, and connected.
However, part of growing up involves facing challenges. It’s natural — and necessary — for children to feel disappointed at times, to encounter conflict with friends, or to not always get their way. While our instinct as adults is often to shield children from discomfort, we also know that one of the greatest gifts we can give them is the confidence and ability to face life’s ups and downs with resilience.
As hard as it can be, our job isn’t to protect children from every uncomfortable moment — it’s to guide them through it. Allowing children to sit with small setbacks and giving them space to find their own solutions helps them become more emotionally capable and socially mature. Many friendship issues, misunderstandings, or disappointments are short-lived and often resolve themselves with a bit of time and perspective.
These life skills are part of the Personal and Social Capability in the Victorian Curriculum. At school, we work to support this by:
- Encouraging group work and shared problem-solving
- Teaching explicit social and emotional learning strategies
- Explicitly teaching and giving students the opportunity to practise collaboration, communication, and resilience
- Coaching students to reflect and resolve conflict respectfully
The Role of Parents and Carers
We deeply value the role of families in helping children grow through these experiences. You can support your child by:
- Listening with empathy and helping them name their feelings
- Encouraging strategies like walking away, using kind words, or seeking adult help
- Reassuring them that it’s okay to feel upset and that they are capable of handling it
- Being patient — sometimes the best support is giving things a little time to settle
- Avoiding the urge to immediately "fix" the problem and instead asking, “What do you think you could try?”
When to Contact Teachers
If your child is experiencing ongoing distress or repeated issues that don’t seem to improve, please don’t hesitate to contact their teacher. We’re here to support you and your child.
Before reaching out, we ask that parents:
- Talk with your child to understand what’s happened, ask whether this has already been discussed /dealt with at school
- Encourage your child to let go of hurt feelings and move on
- Encourage them to talk to their teacher or a trusted adult at school
- Wait a few days to see if the situation naturally improves or resolves (in most cases situations are resolved naturally given time)
If the concern continues or grows, please do get in touch. Together, we can support your child to learn and grow through life’s challenges with care and confidence.
**Please continue to keep teachers informed of any significant events at home that could impact your child’s behaviour or emotional state at school. For example, illness or loss of a family member or pet, changes in family circumstances such as separation or divorce.**
Email/Communications policy attached for your reference.
Resources : SchoolTV Positive Parenting Course
