03 Magazine: March 01, 2023

“Wellbeing doesn’t stand alone. It is woven within and across all aspects of the
curriculum. Our values are well embedded and central to forming, developing
and changing relationships.” says principal Scott Thelning.
and development tells us is
that we need to create learning
environments which allow for
strong, long term relationships for
students to become attached to
school and to the adults and other
children in it. Healthy attachment
helps build a safe environment
that fosters risk-taking and
exploration, which drives learning.
Seven years on, we have a thriving
culture where we are united in
prioritising relationship building
knowing that positive relationships
create optimum conditions for
learning.
Collectively as a staff, we
understand that when we are
thinking about a relationship, we
are not just talking about being
nice to a child, we are talking
about a child having an experience
of attunement and trust from all
interactions with us.
The intermediate years focus
The Education Review Office (ERO)
evaluated 159 primary schools in
New Zealand to gain insights for
their 2015 Wellbeing for Children’s
Success in Primary School’s report.
The findings identified the need
for primary schools’ promotion of
and response to wellbeing needs
of Years 7 and 8 students to reflect
the greater risks students this age
and older may face. The report
highlighted the need for schools
to understand the cumulative
effect on Years 7 and 8 students
if wellbeing needs are not met in
earlier years.
We are committed to working
alongside all of our students,
ensuring they are mind fit in all
that they do, and are adaptive
to the challenges of an everchanging
and complex world.
This year, an even greater focus is
being undertaken with our Years
7 and 8 students and preparing
them holistically for a positive
transition to Secondary School.
Komodo wellbeing platform
Komodo, a data-driven wellbeing
platform that empowers
students and enables schools
to make positive and effective
interventions has been
implemented. The students
complete fortnightly surveys
as part of their homeroom
connection time and can select
any staff member they wish to
check in with should they wish
to talk.
The data from the completed
surveys are reviewed by our
wellbeing team. Any students in
need are flagged by the survey
results and this then allows daily
engagement with those students.
We believe being able to rely on
regular, evidence-based student