16 SEP 2021 From the Wellbeing Team

Introduction to Respectful Relationships for Term 4

A taster of the Respectful Relationships program will be rolled out to students in Term 4 this year, dependent upon return to face to face learning. A full launch of the program will be undertaken in 2022. 

Our focus over this time will be on building key social and emotional skills and learning for students that will form the building blocks on which to explore issues around respectful relationships. Students from Year 7 to 12 will be learning about five different topics and the curriculum will be dependent on each year level group. Years 7 to10 will explore developing and using language around emotions, reading body language and social situations, understanding their own personal strengths and using positive self talk. Years 11 and 12 will explore social and emotional learning from a senior perspective, focusing on understanding stress and help seeking, exploring strengths for managing study demands, achieving specific goals and developing study skills.

The Victorian Government’s Respectful Relationships program, or “RR”, supports school staff and community to promote respect and equality and teach our students the skills required to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.

Students will use a GEAR UP framework to learn and apply their knowledge of the Social and Emotional Learning Content. The GEAR UP framework is as follows:

• Grab - grabbing students attention to the topic with fun activity such as a poll or video

• Extend - is an activity designed to extend students knowledge, skills and language on the topic with activities and discussion

• Apply - provides students to practice what they have learned in a safe environment space through hypotheticals and scenarios

• Reflect - allows students to reflect on what they have learned

• Up- stands for you practice, which encourages students to put their learning into practice outside of class and allows students to report back on their experiences beyond the classroom

Please keep an eye out on your communication next term for ways that parents and families can get involved and build on this learning in the home.

Students are given the opportunity to explore emotions such as anger and frustration, and develop non-violent problem solving strategies.

All secondary school students learn about and explore the relationship between gender and power and the way gender stereotypes and behaviours can lead to unhealthy relationships or coping strategies.

Primary school students are supported to learn new skills to build their confidence and resilience.