Clonard College launches Wellbeing 2020+

Clonard College Geelong is taking bold steps to emphasise
its focus on wellbeing with the development of its innovative Wellbeing 2020+ programme following a
successful pilot in 2019.
The new programme will support the colleges’ aim to develop
well-rounded, confident young women who can live their best lives and improve
their learning outcomes.
In addition to an explicit curriculum within the Wellbeing 2020+ programme, the college
has taken the brave step of changing its school timetable to ensure longer
breaks in between classes. This will ensure students have a chance to move
around, get outside, eat, and have a mental break prior to their next subject.
Assistant Principal (Wellbeing), Kylie Power, said that the
college has committed to longer and more frequent breaks between classes in
2020 to benefit both students and teachers.
“We surveyed our staff and students in 2018 – the data
clearly indicated that students were feeling overwhelmed with 6 x 50 minute
lessons a day as did the teachers.
“We now lock classrooms after each class and have planned
for 5 x 60 minute lessons for 2020.
Breaks will apply after each lesson – getting rid of the old notion of
recess and lunch. Students are encouraged to go to the toilet, get a drink or go for a walk in between classes, and brain breaks have been adopted into all
classrooms,” Ms Power said.
Inspiration for the timetable restructure was bolstered when
the entire teaching staff undertook training in wellbeing and pedagogy with the
Institute of Positive Education.
“The science around movement and learning was a particular
focus that reinformed our brave move to restructure the timetable, the POL structure
and the students’ curriculum.”
From 2020, homeroom teachers will be referred to as wellbeing
teachers and will deliver more than 4.5 hours of wellbeing classes each
fortnight to their students. This will ensure this serves as pastoral rather
than purely administrative time. The classes will focus on topics such as
social and emotional learning, positive education and physical movement. Each
class has 3 x 1 hour sessions and 4 x 25 minute sessions each two-week cycle.
Ms Power confirmed that all students in Year 7-12 at Clonard
College are going to be involved in the programme and said the college prides
itself on offering opportunities for its community to learn the key concepts of
living well.
“The programme has a developmentally appropriate scope and
sequence which used many of the ideas and lessons from the Institute’s
PEEC. Hands on, engaging activities have been designed to improve
relationships between class members and their wellbeing teacher. All year
levels will be participating – the focus at Year 11 and 12 is very much around
stress and coping strategies, time management and independent learning.”
Clonard College staff have participated in a number of training
courses with the Institute of Positive Education and the college has committed
to ongoing training for its leadership team in 2020.
To learn more about the Wellbeing
2020+ programme at Clonard College Geelong please Click Here or
email: wellbeing2020@clonard.vic.edu.au