Research shows emotions play a significant role in learning, as attention and wellbeing are impaired when students feel stressed or worried at school. When students are mentally healthy, they feel confident in their ability to handle stressors and the challenges of daily life. 

Hume Anglican Grammar’s participation in the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) Program, places child and adolescent mental health at the forefront of our Student Wellbeing strategy. The MHiPS program provides the School with resources to improve students’ mental health literacy and empower students to seek help and support when needed.

During the term, we have been promoting emotional wellbeing by creating a school environment that supports mental health literacy and the development of positive coping skills. This has been taught in our Wellbeing Program in the Primary and Secondary schools across the three campuses. 

Our approach to emotional health has centred around research-based good habits for brain health, which include sleep, stress management, exercising, food and nutrition. Research shows sleep and rest provide significant benefits for student learning and wellbeing. Not having enough sleep can impact academic achievement, emotion regulation, classroom behaviour and social skills. Sleep is essential as it helps to consolidate learning and create new memory structures that can be retrieved the next day. Regular rest and brain breaks during the day, can help prevent cognitive overload, reduce stress levels and promote emotional health.

Mindful in May is a whole school initiative, designed to teach students strategies to develop good habits to manage stress by resting their minds. Each morning during May, students will take a mindful moment to help ground themselves and be present before learning commences for the day. Research shows the benefits of a regular mindfulness practice include increased emotional regulation, reduced stress and anxiety, better physical health, and improved memory. Improved memory leads to increased academic performance and student self-efficacy with learning.

I encourage parents to talk to their children about the strategies they are learning to support their mental health at school. Parents interested in learning more about supporting their child’s emotional health can find more information on the Raising Children website Raising Children Network.

Claire Thompson
Director of Student Wellbeing