Our comprehensive, preventative whole-school approach to wellbeing is fundamental to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all members of the Mentone Park Primary School community. 

Wellbeing is a key priority goal to ensure students are happy, engaged and ready to learn. Our school program will aid students in becoming independent thinkers and responsible citizens who are resilient, make strong choices and have empathy for themselves and others. 

WHOLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS 

At Mentone Park Primary School, our vision is to develop strong and positive relationships between students and teachers through the following of whole school programs: 

SCHOOL VALUES 

The school values of Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence and Respect underpin everything we do as a school community. Each value is explicitly taught at the start of the year and teachers refer to them consistently throughout the year. The TIER award is presented to one student in each class per week who demonstrates the school value. 

MULTI-AGE GROUPS 

All students belong to a ‘multi age’ group. These groups meet once a term to celebrate important whole school events such as Everybody Belongs Day, Science Week and our School Values Day. Students and teachers also meet with their entire house group frequently to participate in House games and activities developed by our Year 6 House Captains. 

CLASSROOM PROGRAMS 

Our wellbeing curriculum, based on the Victorian Curriculum, is explicitly taught through the following classroom programs: 

• Community Circle 

Community Circle is a time for students to gather together with their class to share their personal feelings and ideas in response to a given question. The Community Circle program is completed every day, and it brings together the teacher and students in an enjoyable atmosphere of cooperation. It is simply called Community Circle because the students begin and end in a circle.  

Community Circle helps students to: 

• develop a stronger sense of belonging 

• have a voice 

• prepare for learning 

• build on their social interaction skills 

• show empathy and understanding towards others 

• increase emotional awareness and self- control. 

• Mindfulness Meditation  

Mindfulness Meditation is a mental practice that all students at our school participate in daily and is practised simultaneously in classrooms across the school. This involves focusing attention on the present moment with openness, curiosity, and without judgment. It helps our students become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as they arise, promoting calmness and emotional regulation. 

Benefits for our students include: 

• Improved focus and attention, 

• Better emotional regulation, 

• Reduced anxiety and stress, 

• Enhanced empathy and self-awareness. 

• Zones of Regulation Framework 

We support students’ social and emotional development through the Zones of Regulation framework. This practical and inclusive approach helps children recognise their emotions, understand how their feelings affect their behaviour, and learn strategies to manage their responses in positive ways. All the zones and strategies for each zone are explored through discrete teaching lessons every year, to ensure students are consistently building their emotional vocabulary, empathy, and resilience. Every classroom at MPPS has our own developed Zones of Regulation Posters and MPPS Zone Strategies Poster clearly displayed for easy access. Students will have the opportunity to check in on their zones during the day and will be able to use our MPPS Zones Strategies Poster when they need.  

The Zones framework groups emotions and levels of alertness into four colour-coded zones: 

Blue Zone – feeling low, such as sad, tired, or unwell 

Green Zone – feeling calm, focused, and ready to learn 

Yellow Zone – feeling heightened, like anxious, excited, or frustrated 

Red Zone – experiencing intense emotions such as anger or panic 

Students are taught that all zones are normal, and the goal is not to stay in the Green Zone at all times, but to recognise which zone they’re in and use tools and strategies to manage their feelings appropriately.  

• The Resilience Project  

At Mentone Park Primary, we recognise that resilience is crucial for students to achieve both social and academic success. To help students become more resilient they need to be explicitly taught practical strategies that promotes positive mental health. Therefore, as a school, we have officially partnered with The Resilience Project to deliver an evidence-based program (following the Victorian Curriculum) - each student receives a learning journal for classroom activities, teachers are provided with extensive resources and undertake high quality professional learning, and we involve our parent community through information sessions. 

Throughout this program, students engage in weekly lessons and activities around the key principles of Empathy, Gratitude, Mindfulness and develop their Emotional Literacy using film, books, stories, drama and other engaging activities. Combined with a whole school restorative practice approach, we are confident that we are giving our students every opportunity to develop into resilient young members of our community. 

For more information, and for inspiration and activities for the whole family, check out TRP@HOME. 

• Respectful Relationships  

Respectful Relationships is a Department of Education and Training initiative and is part of our whole school approach to wellbeing at Mentone Park Primary School.  

Respectful Relationships education is a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from Foundation to Year 12 in all Government schools. The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect to change the story of family violence for future generations. 

Everyone in our community deserves to be respected, valued and treated equally. We know that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when positive attitudes, behaviours and equality are embedded in our education settings. This evidenced based approach leads to positive impacts on student’s academic outcomes, their mental health, classroom behaviour, and relationships between teachers and students. 

In the primary years, Respectful Relationships is taught as part of the Health and Physical Education and Personal and Social Capability areas of the Victorian Curriculum. The curriculum supports schools to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. It teaches our students how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence. The supporting teaching and learning materials have been developed by world-leading experts from the University of Melbourne. These age-appropriate resources align to the Victorian Curriculum and include lesson plans and activities that help students learn and practise social skills and apply them in a positive way to learning, life and relationships. 

We strongly value the partnership that we have with our families and aim to build this by embedding the Respectful Relationships initiative in our school community. 

For further information, the following resources are available 

Respectful Relationships Information 

https://www.vic.gov.au/respectful-relationships 

Respectful Relationship curriculum and learning materials 

https://arc.educationapps.vic.gov.au/learning/sites/respectful-relationships/1785/Respectful-Relationships-resources 

STUDENT LEADERSHIP AND AGENCY  

• Student Representative Council (SRC) 

The SRC is a group of students who represent student voice at Mentone Park Primary School. One student representative from each class in Years 1-4 is elected at the beginning of the school year and they are led by two Year 5 students and the Year 6 School Captains. The SRC regularly meets with the SRC coordinating teacher to discuss ideas, activities, and possible fund raisers for the school, local community, and charity organisations.   

The SRC helps students build stronger connections with each other, the school, their teachers, and the broader community. It enhances opportunities for students to contribute their voice and build confidence and leadership skills. 

• Buddies  

At Mentone Park Primary School, we have a Buddy Program that pairs our Foundation students with Year 6 mentors, creating meaningful connections across age groups and fostering a sense of community. This initiative not only helps our youngest learners acclimate to the school environment but also allows older students to develop leadership and responsibility skills. During designated buddy sessions, Year 6 students guide their Foundation buddies through activities such as reading, arts and crafts, and playground games, which enhances social interactions and builds confidence for both age groups. The benefits of this program are profound: Foundation students gain a sense of security and friendship, while Year 6 students reinforce their own learning and develop important life skills such as empathy and communication. This nurturing environment cultivates a supportive school culture, where students feel connected and valued, ultimately enhancing their overall educational experience. 

Our Buddy program runs every fortnight, starting at the beginning of Term One. As the year progresses our Buddies are more involved with whole school events alongside our Foundation students specifically around 100 days of school preparation and their annual Teddy Bear Picnic.  

• Year 6 Leadership  

​Leadership is a major component of the teaching and learning program in Year 6. During allocated sessions students fulfil their leadership responsibilities within their team and direct correlation to their particular role description. 

School Captains and Vice Captains are expected to; lead and conduct Whole School Assemblies with close collaboration with the Principal/Assistant Principal, lead School Tours and speak with school visitors and guests such as Principals and teachers.  

The Green Team is committed to raising awareness about environmental issues and reducing our impact on the Earth. Their mission is to create a clean, safe and healthy environment in and out of school grounds and preserve precious resources for future generations. The Green Team members and leaders address students at the school assembly, plan, organise and assist with the running of environmental activities such as Walk to School Day, Rubbish Free Lunch Challenges and National Tree Planting Day. They also coordinate every-day practices encouraging a sustainable environment such as composting, paper recycling and nurturing our beloved veggie patch which is irrigated using recycled water from the drinking taps. 

All Year 6 students participate in the Foundation Buddy Program. 

Year 6 Leadership positions include: 

• School Captains 

• House and Vice Captains 

• The Green Team 

• Techspert Monitors 

• Gate Monitors 

• Library Monitors 

• Flag Monitors 

LUNCHTIME CLUBS  

At Mentone Park Primary School, we offer a weekly Lunchtime Club program. 

Lunchtime clubs are an evidence-based way of providing activities during recess and/or lunchtime. They help build student engagement, social skills, and inclusion for all students. 

We have found that Lunchtime Clubs have benefits for students and the whole school community, including: 

• improved peer-to-peer and teacher-student relationships and wellbeing 

• a sense of personal empowerment and student voice 

• development of social and emotional skills 

• improved academic achievement 

• positive school climate  

• reduction in playground behaviour incidents. 

The programs are run by teachers and education support staff and include such things as: 

• Gardening 

• Drawing 

• Construction (blocks, Lego, Duplo) 

• Board Games 

• Library Reading 

• Mindful colouring 

Through the Lunchtime Club Program students are able to build friendships with children outside of their classroom learning environment. It provides opportunities for them to come together in a club they are interested in, within a small quieter environment. 

SUPPORTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR 

Mentone Park Primary School has adopted a SWPB framework. School Wide Positive Behaviour (SWPB) is an evidence-based framework that focuses on preventing and responding to student behaviour. This aims to provide a consistent system of expectations for all students and promotes positive behaviour by clearly defining expectations, explicitly teaching social and emotional skills, and consistently recognising and reinforcing positive behaviours.  

The framework supports all students by creating a consistent, school-wide culture where positive relationships are nurtured, and every child is encouraged to thrive. By engaging staff, students, and families in a shared vision for behaviour and wellbeing, the SWPB framework strengthens our community and enhances student learning outcomes. 

At the core of SWPB are a few key components: 

• Positive Behaviour Matrix: We have established a clear and consistent Positive Behaviour Matrix that outlines expectations across all areas of our school, from classrooms to the playground and beyond. Expectations are directly linked to our school values of Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence, Respect (T.I.E.R). These expectations are taught to students explicitly, ensuring everyone understands what is expected of them in various settings. Our Behaviour Matrix posters are also displayed prominently in all learning areas and shared spaces, providing a visual reference point for staff and students to refer to when reflecting on behavioural choices. 

• Behaviour Response Continuum: We use a whole school Behaviour Response Continuum to ensure consistent, fair, and appropriate responses to student behaviour — both positive and inappropriate — across all settings. The continuum provides a clear framework for staff to follow when addressing a wide range of behaviours. By using the Behaviour Response Continuum, we support students in developing self-regulation, understanding natural consequences, and making positive choices. 

• Positive Reinforcement: We celebrate and acknowledge positive behaviour through various means such as verbal praise, house point incentives, TIER award acknowledgments and raffle tickets. By recognising and reinforcing desired behaviours, we create a positive atmosphere that encourages students to continue making positive choices.  

• Support and Intervention: For students who may require additional assistance, MPPS provides a multi-tiered system of support. This means we offer interventions and support strategies tailored to individual needs, ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed behaviourally and academically.