Words for Wellbeing - Edition 2 - March 1, 2021

Welcome to Words for Wellbeing

Welcome to your fortnightly Wellbeing newsletter. You’ll find new information to enhance your health and wellness to keep you Fit4Life. These will include shining a spotlight on signature character strengths; top tips from the science of wellbeing; Conversations on the Couch with our Emmanuel family; and, loads more. We hope you enjoy them and we’re happy to take requests if there’s something in the wellbeing realm you’d love to learn more about.

In this bumper edition we celebrate International Women's Day, World Compliment Day, Parks Week and Borrow an eBook Week! We enter the Clean Water Challenge, talk you through some of our Wellbeing programs, introduce you to Skodel check-ins and have a wonderful Conversation on the Couch with Wellbeing's Tracey van Rooy. Our real star of this edition is our Girls Got Talent event to be held on March 9th, to be opened by Mayor Vicki Jellie.

So sit back and relax as you take in everything on offer in this edition of Words for Wellbeing.

International Women's Day, 2021

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. 

Marked annually on March 8th, International Women's Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to:

• celebrate women's achievements
• raise awareness about women's equality
• lobby for accelerated gender parity

The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2021 is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” and we have chosen several ways to celebrate women and raise awareness about gender equality. We put a call out to staff to send images of the women they celebrate to be included in the video you'll see below. The faces of family, friends and inspiring women from all over the world are sure to give you goosebumps as you watch this inspiring compilation - a longer version of which will be played on March 9th at our very special Emmanuel IWD event, Girls Got Talent.

We also take great pleasure in introducing you to our new Fit4Life Wellbeing Intake Officer, Tracey van Rooy with a Conversation on the Couch; we share a list of the most borrowed books at Emmanuel by and about inspiring women; and, we celebrate the inspirational Amanda Gorman.

Enjoy our offerings and be sure to acknowledge the special women in your life, on March 8th, and every day.

Who run the world? Girls!

Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman describes herself as a Wordsmith and a Change-maker and it’s impossible to argue with either.

She is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied Sociology. She has written for the New York Times and has three books forthcoming with Penguin Random House.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, she began writing at only a few years of age. Now her words have won her invitations to the Obama White House and to perform for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Al Gore, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, and others. Amanda has performed multiple commissioned poems for CBS This Morning and she has spoken at events and venues across the country, including the Library of Congress and Lincoln Center. She has received a Genius Grant from OZY Media, as well as recognition from Scholastic Inc., YoungArts, the Glamour magazine College Women of the Year Awards, and the Webby Awards. She has written for the New York Times newsletter The Edit and penned the manifesto for Nike's 2020 Black History Month campaign. In 2017, Amanda Gorman was appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate by Urban Word – a program that supports Youth Poets Laureate in more than 60 cities, regions and states nationally. She is the recipient of the Poets & Writers Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, and is the youngest board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the United States.

You’ll know her best for her speech at the Inauguration of President Joe Biden.

We do not share this to become political. We share this to celebrate a young woman whose name we will never forget. A young woman who is changing the world. A young woman who hasn’t enjoyed the privilege that many of us have. 

We share this so that you can remember her words whenever life puts a mountain in your way. Because there are no mountains that are going to stop her, nor do they need to prevent us from living a valuable life.

The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman

When day comes we ask ourselves,

where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry,

a sea we must wade.

We've braved the belly of the beast,

We've learned that quiet isn't always peace,

and the norms and notions

of what just is

isn't always just-ice.

And yet the dawn is ours

before we knew it.

Somehow we do it.

Somehow we've weathered and witnessed

a nation that isn't broken,

but simply unfinished.

We the successors of a country and a time

where a skinny Black girl

descended from slaves and raised by a single mother

can dream of becoming president

only to find herself reciting for one.

And yes we are far from polished.

Far from pristine.

But that doesn't mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge a union with purpose,

to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and

conditions of man.

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us,

but what stands before us.

We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,

we must first put our differences aside.

We lay down our arms

so we can reach out our arms

to one another.

We seek harm to none and harmony for all.

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true,

that even as we grieved, we grew,

that even as we hurt, we hoped,

that even as we tired, we tried,

that we'll forever be tied together, victorious.

Not because we will never again know defeat,

but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision

that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree

and no one shall make them afraid.

If we're to live up to our own time,

then victory won't lie in the blade.

But in all the bridges we've made,

that is the promise to glade,

the hill we climb.

If only we dare.

It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,

it's the past we step into

and how we repair it.

We've seen a force that would shatter our nation

rather than share it.

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth,

in this faith we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

This is the era of just redemption

we feared at its inception.

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs

of such a terrifying hour

but within it we found the power

to author a new chapter.

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

So while once we asked,

how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?

Now we assert,

How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was,

but move to what shall be.

A country that is bruised but whole,

benevolent but bold,

fierce and free.

We will not be turned around

or interrupted by intimidation,

because we know our inaction and inertia

will be the inheritance of the next generation.

Our blunders become their burdens.

But one thing is certain,

If we merge mercy with might,

and might with right,

then love becomes our legacy,

and change our children's birthright.

So let us leave behind a country

better than the one we were left with.

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,

we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west.

We will rise from the windswept northeast,

where our forefathers first realized revolution.

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states.

We will rise from the sunbaked south.

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover.

And every known nook of our nation and

every corner called our country,

our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,

battered and beautiful.

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid,

the new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light,

if only we're brave enough to see it.

If only we're brave enough to be it.

Just in case you haven’t seen her recite this poem, heard her delivery, felt her words, here is the link to a video of Amanda Gorman on Inauguration Day, 2021.

Girls Got Talent - March 9th, 2021

We don’t have to search very far at all to find women to celebrate at Emmanuel College. Every single student, staff member, alumni and community member is a woman to be respected, admired, inspired by and one worthy of equality.

But as a special International Women’s Day event, we will shine a spotlight on some of our talented young women as they perform a lunchtime concert on The Stage in the Wyton Theatre.

Mayor Vicki Jellie will inspire us with her opening remarks around this year’s theme for International Women’s Day: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”

Our performers and female school leaders will be joined by Mayor Jellie and other special guests in an intimate reception after the performance.

We cordially invite all staff and students to attend and cheer on our Girls Got Talent performers, for one show only!

So come along and support our Girls Got Talent!

Emmanuel's Most Borrowed Books

By & About Inspiring Women

• Shine by Samantha Armytage
• Nujeen by Nujeen Mustafa and Christina Lamb
• I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
• Born To Run by Cathy Freeman
• The Girl Who Climbed Everest by Sue Williams (Alyssa Azar)
• Now by Anna Meares
• Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton
• I Know This To Be True by Jacinda Adern
• One Unknown by Gill Hicks
• Becoming by Michelle Obama

Conversations on the Couch with Tracey van Rooy

It is incredibly fitting to be introducing you to our Fit4Life Wellbeing Intake Officer, Tracey van Rooy, in our International Women’s Day edition. Trace has long been connected to the Emmanuel community, first as a parent and an aunty, and now as a much loved staff member. Hers is the first smile our staff and students see as they approach our office, and it’s a smile that hasn’t stopped since she walked through the doors. Trace loves life! She surrounds herself with her family and friends, enjoys breakfasts out and long lunches and come to think of it, dinners too! Always the first to put her hand up to bring people together, we know Tracey brings her warmth, her enthusiasm, her kindness, compassion and zest to her role, our team and to our community.

Enjoy getting to know her a little better through her Conversation on the Couch!

Which is worse, failing or never trying?
Never trying. If you don’t try you will never know if you could or not.  At least if you fail you can work out what went wrong.

If you could offer your fifteen-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
No one is looking at you.  Seriously, no one is looking.

When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? 

This morning. I spend 5 minutes quietly meditating each morning.

What’s something you know you do differently than most people? 

I put my shoes on and tie them standing up where as most people I know sit down.

What would constitute a “perfect” day for you? 

26 degrees, slight breeze, being able to do whatever I feel like – and a glass of champagne!

When did you last sing to yourself? 

This morning in the car. What song did you sing? Counting Crows – Mr Jones

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be? 

To be able to sing well.  What I lose in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm but it's never pleasant for anyone in earshot.

World Compliment Day

After many successful editions of the 'National Compliment Day' in the Netherlands, the creators wondered whether this event should become a 'World Compliment Day', thus creating 'The Most Positive Day in the World'!

World Compliment Day quite simply responds to a basic human need for recognition and appreciation. 

Unlike on Valentine’s Day, or Mother’s or Father’s Days, this is not commercially motivated, meaning no one wins in a business sense, but everyone wins emotionally.

And this is where all its power lies.

So today, on March 1st, we’re encouraging everyone to give at least three people in their class or team, a genuine and sincere compliment.

If we all do that, we will undoubtedly create the most positive day in the world!

Go on, you can do it! Be sure to check in to see how your heart feels afterward. Afterall, showing kindness to others benefits their wellbeing, but it also boosts our own.

We look forward to hearing how your homeroom celebrated World Compliment Day and if you need some more inspiration, check out Rose Turtle Ertler's Complimentary Caravan.

Rose has collected audio and hand written compliments from different towns since June 2016. As she travels around, she invites people to step inside her cosy caravan and 'bathe' in a soundtrack of genuine compliments recorded from their local neighbourhood. They’re invited to relax and enjoy an immersive experience of relentless gratitude and encouragement, all the while restoring their faith in humanity!

Can you even imagine how wonderful that would feel?

To be even more motivated by Rose Turtle Ertler, follow this link to her website and check out her Facebook video. Whilst we’d love our own complimentary caravan, we’re not sure it’s in the budget, so we’ve decided to create our own live version in our office.

Why don’t you do the same?

And just in case no one has told you today, YOU ARE FABULOUS!

Read an eBook, Return a Book Week & Dr Seuss' Birthday

Begin the Month of March With Reading by Mrs Sinnott,
LRC Co-ordinator

The calendar month of March starts with the first week marking two special book-related events.

March 1-5 is set aside as Read an eBook Week and Return Borrowed Books Week.

Begin the month by reading an eBook.  You may not yet have had an opportunity to read an eBook.  At Emmanuel College we have a number of digital platforms where you can find an eBook to read.  You can check out these sites:

Sora: https://soraapp.com/library/emmanuelau

Wheelers: https://emmanuel.wheelers.co

Bolinda: https://library.bolindadigital.com/emmanuelvic

There are funny books, books to make you think and great stories to read.

You can browse our school’s digital collections, select a book, and download the title to read or listen later when offline. This provides you with access to titles no matter where you are, with or without an internet connection.

As you read, you can make notes or highlight words or sentences.

You can adjust the font type (including dyslexic font), font size, and lighting in most books.  You can mark where you are up to.  When reading eBooks there’s no need to return the book - that happens automatically.

And as for Return Borrowed Books Week.  That’s just a reminder if you have borrowed a physical Library book, check out when it is due back and either renew it online, visit the Library or return it.

At Emmanuel, we have many books to choose from - what will your next read be?  An online eBook or a physical book?  Or perhaps even an audio book to listen to on your computer? 

It’s your choice.

Some thoughts about reading eBooks by 7C

Some thoughts about reading eBooks by 9B

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss for March 2nd

Skodel Check-ins

At Emmanuel College we are committed to our student’s wellbeing. As part of this commitment, we encourage our students to check in fortnightly on Skodel.

Skodel Check-Ins are short and engaging surveys that give students a friendly outlet to voice their wellbeing and help schools gain timely visibility on the areas that matter. We prompt our students to submit a brief response to a question – this may be a general wellbeing question or a specific question regarding community or world events; and how it affects their emotions and thoughts.   By giving our students the opportunity to express vulnerabilities, gratitude, or simply share a story with us we aim to achieve the following:

1.Build Stronger Relationships: By driving more meaningful conversations in our school community, we can build stronger relationships with students, families and our School's values and culture.

2.Identify Students That Need Support: It can be hard for students going through a challenging time to speak out. Our aim is to give students a medium they feel comfortable opening up on so we can best support them.

3.Encourage Self-Expression: We want to give students a voice and encourage them to use it. This helps students discover themselves and gives our teaching community a chance to get to know them on a deeper level so we can better support them through the tough times and share in the moments of joy and achievement.

To find out more, watch this introductory video below and if you have any questions, please contact yours or your child's homeroom teacher.

Nature Therapy for Parks Week

Parks Week, from March 6 - 14th, is about hundreds of organisations across Australia and New Zealand holding events to celebrate the vital role parks play in creating liveable cities and thriving communities. Parks Week 2021 will focus on how spending time in our parks and open spaces positively influences our wellbeing.

In fact, the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku, or Forest Bathing, has proven benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing. It has been shown to reduce stress hormone production, improve feelings of happiness and free up creativity, as well as lower heart rate and blood pressure, boost the immune system and accelerate recovery from illness.

What’s not to love. Plus, we don’t even really need a forest or park to practice in. Our backyard will do!

Here’s one of my favourite shinrin yoku practices, called a Sit Spot.

Sit Spot

This is one of the best methods for connecting with nature, supporting healing, cultivating awareness of self and others, and deepening relationships with the more-than-human world.

This is not a formal meditation practice and there are no expectations other than to find a place that feels right, and to, well, sit there.

You may choose to journal while you sit, although for some of us, that can be a distraction.

What we’re really after, when using all five of our senses to ground ourselves (as per last WW newsletter), is the slow reveal. The longer you sit, the more you’ll notice.

So find your spot to sit, and bring your awareness to what you can see, what you can hear, what you can smell, what you feel and perhaps even taste. The longer you sit, the more you’ll notice. Trust me.

Twenty minutes is an ideal amount of time to do this practice. You might begin with less than that, but through regular practice, you’ll cultivate a longer practice. It’s ideal to aim for at least three Sit Spot practices per week.

Be sure to let us know how your practice goes!

For more information on Nature Therapy and Forest Bathing, follow this link:

https://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/library

And for more information on Parks Week, follow this link:

http://www.parks-week.org/

Clean Water for Wellbeing

According to World Vision, it is hard to overstate the benefits of clean water and sanitisation. When asked what would improve their lives the most, the majority of people in developing countries prioritise access to clean water.

And for good reason. We know that clean water, along with decent sanitation and hygiene, are very effective in reducing poverty. It can help save lives, drive economic growth, keep kids in school and increase opportunities for women and girls.

In terms of investment, it’s also value for money. The World Health Organization estimates that meeting the Sustainable Development Goal for water and sanitation would bring substantial economic benefit: each $1 invested would create an economic return of between $3 and $34, depending on the region.

And it would improve life for people of all ages.

From the age of 0 to 4 years, child deaths may be reduced.

From the age of 5 to 14 years, many more children, especially girls, could go to school if they had adequate drinking water and sanitation facilities. Children would be more likely to escape poverty.

From the age of 15 to 59 years, workers would have increased productivity thanks to improved health and better facilities.

People older than 60 could expect to live longer.

The Water Challenge

For the month of March, WaterAid, an international not-for-profit organisation, challenge us to The Water Challenge.

785 million people worldwide live without clean water close to home. That shouldn’t be normal. Nor should the fact that 2 billion people do not have a decent toilet of their own. 

Diarrhoea caused by dirty water, poor toilets and insufficient hygiene kills almost 800 children a day. A lack of clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene keeps kids out of school, adults out of work and traps people in poverty.

WaterAid is an international not-for-profit, determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. Only by tackling these three essentials in ways that last can people change their lives for good.

“Together, we can reach everyone, everywhere with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene within a generation – and change normal for good.”

The Water Challenge asks students to make water their only beverage for the month of March. 

Too much? Perhaps we can all begin by setting a goal to increase the amount of water we currently drink each day.

And while we’re at it, why not test your water knowledge with The Water Challenge Quiz. Who knows, we might all learn something that helps remind us that this precious resource is something that is not to be taken for granted.

Taming the Butterflies

As a part of the health promotion focus of the Fit4Life Wellbeing Team at Emmanuel College, we routinely deliver a six-week skills-based group program targeting social anxiety.

In term 1, the group program will be specifically for year 8 students who experience some difficulties when required to be the centre of attention, such as when giving a speech in class, or when meeting new people in different social settings, or even those who set extraordinarily high standards for themselves.

Students attend for one period per week over a six week period to receive psycho-education, learn thinking strategies to manage anxious worries, behavioural strategies to calm and self-soothe when anxious and set personal goals to reduce avoidance and improve general coping in social settings.

In addition to the six group sessions, students are offered an additional three individual sessions to encourage ongoing commitment to their new coping styles. Students are provided with workbooks based on a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approach, including home practice sheets.

We look forward to working with our year 8 students this term, and plan to invite year 10s in term 2.

Standing Tall

Standing Tall is a local initiative linking students with volunteer mentors - encouraging healthy relationships with adult role models.

2021 will the fourth year Emmanuel have partnered with Standing Tall in supporting community members mentoring our year 7, 8 and 9 students.

Students and mentors meet weekly with Matty Stewart (Standing tall coordinator) and the Wellbeing team to engage in games, goal setting and ongoing relationship building. 

Mentors have the ability to change lives and our students who have participated in the program would certainly agree with this. Mentors report benefitting just as much as our students.

The program kicked off again last week and we very much look forward to all of the added wellbeing benefits our students are certain to experience.

Fit4Life, Wellbeing @ Emmanuel College

Your 2021 Fit4Life Wellbeing Team are, from left to right, Jodie Fleming (School Psychologist), Rachele Sloane (Wellbeing coordinator), Claire Wrigley (Assistant Principal Students Wellbeing), Tracey van Rooy (Student Wellbeing Intake Officer). You can look forward to meeting us all through the Conversations on the Couch in coming editions, or, in person anytime!

We have moved but we are still located on McAuley campus. You’ll now find us upstairs in the Convent, at the end of the Year 7 corridor, directly above the Heritage room.

Can’t follow my instructions? Here are some videos coming from The Stage, the front office, and from the Year 7 corridor. Simply click on the links for a speedy tour.

We also have spaces on Rice and Goold campuses. Teachers, parents and guardians and students are all able to refer students to us. If you'd like to catch up, simply email us at wellbeing@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

Fit Bits

Our weekly Fit Bits links are designed to energise, motivate and encourage us to take brain breaks and mindful moments throughout each day for our minds and our bodies.

ENERGISER

BRAIN BREAK

MINDFUL MOMENT

MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC

Warrnambool Youth Council

Applications to join the next Warrnambool Youth Council are open now!

The Warrnambool Youth Council aspires to be a proactive team of up to 16 young people, aged from 12 - 21 years, who undertake peer and community leadership roles and who are aware and connected to youth, Council and the community. We are looking to hear from local dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic young people who want to have a stronger voice their community.

Young people can find out more information and apply directly online at https://www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/youth-council

Applications for 2021 Youth Council are now open and Close on 8th March 2021!

We hope you’ve found something useful in this edition of Words for Wellbeing.

Our past editions of Words for Wellbeing contain useful reminders about how to cope with the changes that stage three lockdown brings. You’ll find all of our past editions online - just follow this link and enter Words for Wellbeing in the search bar: 

Stay tuned for our next edition of Words for Wellbeing!

In the meantime, if you need to contact Wellbeing, please email us at wellbeing@emmanuel.vic.edu.au to organise a catch up or just to check in or offer us any suggestions or feedback on our Words for Wellbeing.

Stay safe and well everyone.

Love from your Wellbeing Team