# data[].attributes.body
Tugade et al (2004) looked at the effect of positive emotions on psychological and physical health. They discovered that people who had a positive mind-frame and engaged in positive activities, built a resilience to immune dysfunctions and used coping strategies when experiencing stressful events. Building upon this research, an educator can use the resources below to build strategies and promote positive mindsets. This will improve students coping strategies and healthy living.

The available resources vary vastly when looking at the issue of the 'healthy mind'. Some of the resources for ‘healthy minds’ include a video on the secret to happiness, others have lesson plans for teachers that aim to target self-awareness and self-management.

Mission Australia (2016) quotes a student who suggests that more talk about mental health issues should be included in school curriculum. Therefore, we have also included a link to the DAX centre which is a gallery with artworks designed by people who have experienced a mental illness. An excursion to the DAX centre would help to break down assumptions about mental illness and allow for discussions in class about how mental health issues are common and it is okay to accept that you have them.

Mission Australia (2016). Youth Survey: 2012-2016. Available at https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/publications/research/young-people [Accessed 12 Oct. 2017].

Tugade, M. M., Fredrickson, B. L., & Barrett, L. F. (2004). Psychological Resilience and Positive Emotional Granularity: Examining the Benefits of Positive Emotions on Coping and Health. Journal Of Personality, (6), 1161.

# data[].attributes.body
Nasook (2014) states that wellbeing is required to experience happiness and a ‘good life’. It is further established that life satisfaction increases as wellbeing increases. Additionally, a connection between wellbeing and learning has been noted, specifically that happiness is the hallmark for learning (Student Wellbeing Hub, 2017).

It has long been known that students experiencing a mental health issue, are likely to present with behavioural problems in class. In order to promote positive wellbeing, Coverdale (2017) suggests the following is required: the right conditions to learn and develop, individual self-worth and respect, positive relationships, a safe home and local community and opportunities to participate in activities to thrive.

The importance of this research for educators is firstly; that students require conditions that promote development and learning. Secondly, schools have been acknowledged as safe place to promote wellbeing in students. These conditions are best endorsed through school policies, culture, practices and resources (Alonso-Martirena, 2017). As such, wellbeing now sits within schooling alongside other socially valued goals, including academic achievement, equity, citizenship, and social cohesion (Powell, 2017). Therefore, feeling of safety, and development of learning can be targeted at a whole school level.

The following activities and resources are aimed at helping teachers within their class to encourage student self-worth, respect amongst peers and positive relationships with friends and family. In particular, we have focused on six areas to improve student wellbeing.

1.     Healthy Minds

2.     Anti-Bullying

3.     Healthy Relationships

4.     Managing Teenage Depression, Anxiety and Stress

5.     Healthy Bodies

6.     Building Resilience

Alonso-Martirena, Y. (2017). An Engagement-based School Experience as a Premise of Wellbeing. Procedia - Social And Behavioral Sciences, 237(Education, Health and ICT for a Transcultural World), 654-660. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2017.02.037

Coverdale, G. (2017). The importance of well-being in children and young people. Journal Of Public Mental Health, 16(3), 93-95.

Nansook Park, a. (2004). The Role of Subjective Well-Being in Positive Youth Development. The Annals Of The American Academy Of Political And Social Science, 25.

Powell, M. A., & Graham, A. (2017). Wellbeing in Schools: Examining the Policy-Practice Nexus. Australian Educational Researcher, 44(2), 213-231.

Student Wellbeing Hub. (2017). Secondary Classroom Resources. Available at: https://www.studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/educators/secondary-classroom-resources#/ [Accessed 12 Oct. 2017].

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Dax Centre uses engaging education programs to explore the life stories of artists who have represented their lived experience of mental illness or trauma through art. Using a multidimensional approach to discuss issues related to mental health and art, the programs allow teachers to create safe and supportive classroom environments in which their students can learn about the interface between art, the mind and creativity.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why is wellbeing (or the lack thereof) an issue?

# data[].attributes.subject
Why is wellbeing (or the lack thereof) an issue?

# data[].attributes.body
Children and adolescents experience stress in both the short term and long term. For example, students might be living in poverty, or experience family breakdowns, abuse or loss of a loved one. When exposed to stressful situations, students are more likely to experience impact on their learning, development, mental health and behaviour (Roffey, 2016). Currently, one in five Australian adolescents are diagnosed with experiencing a mental illness (Aldridge et al. 2016). Furthermore, when faced with the challenge of chronic stress, this may impact a students’ self-worth and resilience and have a flow on effect into their social life. For example, they might find it difficult to develop healthy friendships and relationships or they might experience bullying (Student Wellbeing Hub, 2017).

Therefore, children and adolescents need to develop coping strategies to face into the challenges of life. Understandably, children do not develop strategies to cope with these issues on their own. Families, communities and schools must all play their part (Roffey, 2016). Schools can provide guidance in developing protective factors to overcome adversity and foster positive wellbeing and resilience.

Wellbeing and resilience are vital to not only reducing the effects of mental health problems, but also improving relationships, identifying an individual’s strengths and developing problem solving skills to confront difficult situations (Reach Out!, 2017). When a school’s culture fosters positive psychological wellbeing, the impact is not only seen in academic results, but also in physical and mental health (Alonso-Martirena, 2017). Furthermore, a growing body of research indicates that the wellbeing of children influences both economic and emotional wellbeing in later life (Aldridge et al. 2016)

# data[].attributes.body
Tuuri et al. (2009) sought out to find if children who are made aware of the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables would begin to eat more fruit and vegetables. They found that an awareness of the benefits of a healthy diet leads to eating healthier and enjoying the food. In creating healthy bodies, a good diet is very important so this initiative would prove to be beneficial for both students and teachers.

Kase et al (2017) found that the academic benefits of a good health program in a school was very highly related. Schools running strong health programs had students performing much better on standardised testing. These students also reported feeling more energetic and enthusiastic towards school. This is a really important aspect of getting students into the classroom so that they are able to engage with the learning. If they are in a healthier state physically then they are able to improve their mental health as well as learn more efficiently.

Keeping physically active has shown to improve and maintain receptiveness in class. A study by Alonso-Martirena (2017) found that practicing mindfulness activities in class improved the individual wellbeing of students and also had a flow on effect to engagement and commitment in class.

Alonso-Martirena, Y. (2017). An Engagement-based School Experience as a Premise of Wellbeing. Procedia - Social And Behavioral Sciences, 237(Education, Health and ICT for a Transcultural World), 654-660. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2017.02.037

Kase, C., Hoover, S., Boyd, G., West, K. D., Dubenitz, J., Trivedi, P. A., & ... Stein, B. D. (2017). Educational Outcomes Associated With School Behavioral Health Interventions: A Review of the Literature. Journal Of School Health, 87(7), 554-562.

Tuuri, G., Zanovec, M., Silverman, L., Geaghan, J., Solmon, M., Holston, D., & ... Murphy, E. (2009). Research report: “Smart Bodies” school wellness program increased children's knowledge of healthy nutrition practices and self-efficacy to consume fruit and vegetables. Appetite, 52, 445-451.

# data[].attributes.body
Garmy, Berg and Clausson (2015) expressed and interest in the students opinions of how mental health issues were dealt with in a school, more specifically depression and anxiety. They found that students find programs to promote mental health awareness useful and meaningful, it gave the students knowledge that they otherwise wouldn't have asked for. Helping them when they didn't understand what help they might have needed.

Sotardi (2016) looked into the management of stress in high school students and their coping mechanisms. A lot of students did not have effective ways of dealing with everyday stress that comes from the challenging environment of school life.

The resources below give an understanding of how to both manage mental health issues as well as giving potential signs or indications when a student might be struggling. Having these resources in place for students and teachers allows the students to be more aware for their friends while teachers can also extend their duty of care beyond physical injuries by notifying the students of the right places to go if they are struggling.

Sotardi, V. A. (2016). UNDERSTANDING STUDENT STRESS AND COPING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: A MIXED-METHOD, LONGITUDINAL STUDY.  Psychology In The Schools, (7), 705.

Garmy, P., Berg, A., & Clausson, E. K. (2015). A qualitative study exploring adolescents' experiences with a school-based mental health program. BMC Public Health, 151074.

# data[].attributes.body
Salin and Notelaers (2017) investigated the effects of bullying behaviour in the workplace and the potential ramifications. Within the study, they found that motivation to attend work became much lower when exposed to bullying behaviour. This in turn results in less productive work space and worse quality work for employees.

There is no reason to not assume that the same can be said for a school environment. Students being bullied will look to avoid school as much as possible and work less productively when in the school grounds.

Jungert et al. (2017) highlights the importance of a student-teacher relationship in the event of bullying and to encourage its prevention. These studies indicate that the harmful affects of bullying prove detrimental to the learning spaces of the children and therefore need to be attended too.

The resources below are for both students and teachers to help facilitate the encouraged support of students suffering bullying behaviour as well as the prevention of continued bullying behaviour.

Jungert,T., Lotti, N., Longobardi, C., & Thornberg, R., (2017). Student–teacher relationships and their associations with pro-social motivation and bystander behaviors in school bullying. Lunds universitet.

Salin, D., & Notelaers, G. (2017). The effect of exposure to bullying on turnover intentions: the role of perceived psychological contract violation and benevolent behaviour. Work & Stress, 31(4), 355-374

# data[].attributes.body
Bernard (1995) describes resilience as the ability to cope with stress and the response to difficult stimuli. He identified that this can occur in schools as a bad test mark, exam stress, bullying or not understanding a topic.

Bernard (1995) then goes on to talk about the importance of families in a childs resilience to stress. Therefore, healthy relationships are correlated with greater levels of resilience.

Pianta and Walsh (1998) also discuss the importance of resilience in schools as they state that resilience and education outcomes are correlated. Hence, if a student has a greater resilience to stressful events, then they will usually achieve greater education outcomes. these education outcomes can be academic or general wellbeing.

The resources below are aimed at both students and educators in order to develop a students level of resilience in the aim that their education outcomes increase.

Benard, B., & ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, U. I. (1995). Fostering Resilience in Children. ERIC Digest.

Pianta, R. C., & Walsh, D. J. (1998). Applying The Construct Of Resilience In Schools: Cautions From A Developmental Systems Perspective. School Psychology Review, 27(3), 407.

# data[].attributes.body
Healthy relationships is important in students life as it buffers the effect of stressful events increasing coping. Crabbe (2014) supports this by stating that students with strong relationships have a more positive experience at school than those who have weak or no relationships. Crabbe (2014) is discussing family relationships and how a strong relationship influence a student. She explains this effect as families help students with work when needed, provides a safe and comforting home environment.

King (1996) also strongly supports this by describing that strong peer to peer relationships aids students to achieve a better outcome than weak peer to peer relationships.

The resources below aim to aid these findings by putting an emphasis on how a healthy relationship can help a student to enjoy education and achieve in greater education outcomes than those who have weaker relationships.

King, V. (1996). Healthy relationships, healthy schools : a manual promoting personal wellbeing and human rights activities within schools. Heidelberg, Vic. : Options Project, 1996.

Crabbe, R. (2014). Relationships and Wellbeing. University of Hull. [online] Available at: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.634062 [Accessed 11 Oct. 2017].

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth living?" Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our Primary and Secondary school yoga and mindfulness programs are a fun and creative way to improve students' physical and mental wellbeing. Our mobile yoga classes focus on a combination of strength and flexibility, relaxation and most of all - fun! Our students instantly experience the benefits of yoga and can take these skills into their daily lives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
did you know

Depression is one of the most frequently reported mental health problems in Australian adolescents.

By the middle teenage years, the rates of deprssion are twice as high in girls as in boys.

What is teenage depression?

It's normal for young people to feel the ups and downs of everyday living. Their sad feelings can last several days. When they're sad, teenagers sometimes have trouble sleeping, eating, concentrating or getting motivated.

But teenage depression is more than just sadness or moodiness - it's a serious mental health disorder.

It can be difficult to tell the difference between normal sadness and depression. You can start by looking at:

how long the emotions and behaviour have lasted - if your child shows certain emotions like sadness, or behaviour like being overly tired, for more than two weeks, it might be depression

how strong the emotions are and whether they're there all the time, or come and go

how big an impact the emotions and behaviour are having on your child's schoolwork, relationships, physical health, enjoyment or everyday activities.

If left untreated, teenage depression can have serious long-term consequences. If you're worried about your child, it's important to look for the symptoms of depression. It's also vital for your child's development that you seek professional help as early as possible.

On the positive side, depression is very treatable and young people are good at learning the skills to cope with problems. This can help reduce the symptoms of depression and make it less likely that depression will come back.

Common symptoms of teenage depression

Sometimes teenage depression might be hard to spot. But there are some common emotional, behavioural, physical and thinking symptoms.

Emotional and behavioural symptoms
Your child might:

feel sad, tearful, moody or irritable - your child might say she feels 'empty' or 'numb'

not be interested in or not enjoy activities that she used to like

have angry outbursts that are out of character

feel worthless, or she might feel guilty and blame herself for things - for example, she might say 'It's all my fault' or 'I'm a failure'

stop seeing friends or going to social activities - for example, your child might not want to go to a friend's party, or she might say that she feels lonely

have negative thoughts that don't go away, including thoughts about death and hurting or killing herself - for example, your child might say 'Life's not worth living' or 'I can't do this anymore'.

Physical symptoms
Your child might:

feel tired, unmotivated or low in energy

have large changes in appetite or weight

have vague or unexplained physical problems - for example, tummy aches and headaches

have sleeping problems - for example, insomnia, oversleeping or staying in bed for most of the day.

Thinking symptoms
Your child might:

have trouble concentrating

find it hard to make decisions

seem forgetful and have trouble remembering information.

Your child might experience more than one symptom of depression. The symptoms might be ongoing, or they might seem to come and go over a period of weeks or even months.

School problems or behavioural changes might hide an underlying mental health problem. That's why it's important to seek help from a health professional if you have any concerns about your child's emotions or behaviour.

If your child tells you he's having persistent thoughts about hurting himself or that he wants to die, seek urgent professional help. Call Lifeline on 131 114, or go to your GP, a mental health service or a hospital emergency department. People who are depressed are at increased risk of suicide.

Getting help for your teenage child with depression

Wanting to help your child shows you care. Talking to your child and seeing a health professional together sends the message that your child isn't alone. You might feel uncomfortable talking to your child about mental health problems. But depression is unlikely to go away on its own, so seeking early help for your child is the best thing you can do.

Also most young people won't seek help themselves, so your child will probably need your help to get professional support. If you've tried to talk to your child about your concerns, but she refused help or said there was nothing wrong, you might need to seek help by yourself to start with.

There are many people you can go to for help with teenage depression:

your GP - keep in mind that sometimes children are more comfortable talking to a GP who doesn't also see their parents, a younger doctor or a doctor of the same gender

school counsellors

psychologists and counsellors

your local community health centre

local mental health services.

You can also find helpful information at our teen mental health links and resources page and at Youth Beyond Blue - Help someone you know.

If you're unsure, your GP will be able to guide you to the most appropriate services for your family.

Many factors influencing depression will be outside your control. But there's a lot you can do every day to foster your child's mental health and reduce your child's risk.

Teenage depression: things to try at home

If your child is suffering from depression, there are important things you can do to help in your everyday family life.

Physical health and wellbeing
Here are some ideas that can help:

Encourage your child to make healthy food and drink choices. Make sure you have a variety of healthy foods in the cupboard and fridge, and offer tasty and nutritious options at meals.

Get your child to do some regular physical activity. Staying physically active can help to improve your child's mental health. It might be as simple as taking a 10-minute walk every day to start with.

Encourage your child to get enough sleep. If your child is having trouble sleeping, try not to let him nap during the day regardless of how tired he feels. Help him make time for relaxing activities before bedtime and encourage him to avoid screen time in the hour before bed.

If you can, make sure your child avoids alcohol and other drugs. Using these to dull sadness or pain can make your child's problems worse.

Relationships and feelings
You can try these tips:

Show affection in a way that suits your child's age and maturity. Just tell your child you love her.

If your child has trouble talking about feelings, suggest a diary or journal. Sometimes it's easier to write things down than say them aloud.

Suggest some other people your child could talk to if he doesn't want to talk to you - for example, aunts or uncles, close family friends, a trusted sports coach or religious leader, or your GP.

Encourage your child to let you or another adult know if she thinks things are getting worse.

Everyday life
These tips might help:

Share meals together regularly as a family.

Try to reduce other family conflicts as much as possible.

Make time in your family routine for things your child enjoys and finds relaxing. This could be reading, listening to music and so on.

Spend time with people your child likes and trusts.

Accept that there will be good and bad days.

It's common to feel stressed and under strain when your child is diagnosed with depression. Remember to look after yourself too. If you're meeting your own needs, you'll be better able to meet your child's needs.

Recovering from depression

Overcoming depression can take time, especially if your child has had it for a while. Keep giving your child as much support as you can, even during the difficult times.

The recovery process will usually involve some ups and downs. Many young people who experience an episode of depression will have another episode, or experience some symptoms again in the future.

You play an important role in helping your child to avoid things that might trigger another episode of depression. It's also important to be on the look out for warning signs you've seen before. These might indicate a relapse.

No-one is to blame for a setback. Continuing professional support can help your child find new ways to manage this illness.

Risk factors for teenage depression

Risk factors are things that might make a young person more vulnerable or sensitive to experiencing depression. They might include:

factors that are individual to your child, like being highly anxious or sensitive or having low self-esteem

family conflict or peer problems

behavioural factors, like substance misuse or abuse

life events or experiences, including a relationship break-up, recent death, neglect or physical abuse

school factors - for example, a negative experience like being bullied, problems with starting secondary school, or concerns about study and exams.

Sometimes the risks for and causes of depression aren't obvious. And sometimes depression just happens, and there's no obvious single cause. Depression is no-one's fault, even if it seems to run in your family.

Strong parent-teenager relationships are good for young people's mental health. A sense of belonging to family and friends can help protect teenagers from mental health problems like depression. Your support can have a direct and positive impact on your child's mental health.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teenage depression: warning signs & help | Raising Children Network

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Depression is one of the most frequently reported mental health problems in Australian adolescents. By the middle teenage years, the rates of deprssion are twice as high in girls as in boys. It's normal for young people to feel the ups and downs of everyday living. Their sad feelings can last several days.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning to handle stress in healthy ways is very important. Fortunately, it is easy to learn simple techniques that help. These include recognising and changing the behaviours that contribute to stress, as well as techniques for reducing stress once it has occurred.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.

# data[].attributes.body
Victorian Government resource

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resilience, Rights & Respectful Relationships 7 and 8

# data[].attributes.headline
Connection Between Wellbeing and Learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Connection Between Wellbeing and Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is your place for information and resources to help create respectful and supportive teaching and learning communities that promote student safety and wellbeing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is your place for information and resources to help create respectful and supportive teaching and learning communities that promote student safety and wellbeing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
School events and whole school activities help to raise awareness of how to prevent and deal with bullying.

Use the suggestions and resources below for whole school events or come up with your own ideas. Check out our lesson plans and class activities for more ideas.

You can hold these on the National Day of Action or at ​any time of the year to focus on your school's​ anti-bullying approach.

Assembly, presentations or pledge
School policy development or promotion
Teaching and learning activities for all students
Performance or creative event
Empower your student leaders
Professional development
Harmony Day
Let us know your ideas

Assembly, presentations or pledge

​Plan for a series of anti-bullying assemblies in the week leading up to the National Day of Action. Different groups of students could lead assembly each day.

Invite peer mentors to make presentations about dealing with bullying in the transition to high school.

Highlight students' work to the wider community on your website or social media pages.

Develop your own school anti-bullying pledge-there are lots of examples online. Involve students in writing the pledge and in encouraging other students to sign on.​

School policy development or promotion​

Teaching and learning activities for all students

Run coordinated teaching and learning activities across all year levels with the same theme and students can exhibit their outcomes in shared spaces and events.

See Class activities.

See Bullying. No Way! lesson plans​.

Performance or creative event

Hold an anti-bullying poetry or short-story writing competition across the school community-compile entries into a special school collection.

Download the Bullying. No Way! t-shirt transfer (PDF, 291KB) and organise t-shirts to be made for students and staff.

Take an aerial photo of students organised on the school yard or fields to spell out key slogans: 'Bullying. No Way!' or 'Bullying. Not at our school' or 'NO' etc.

Hold an anti-bullying poster design or other artwork competition-involve members of the broader community to present prizes.

Select a wall in your school where all members of the school community can make an imprint of their hand under the heading 'Take a Stand Together'.

Hold a school event on the National Day of Action where students showcase theatre, song, dance or other performances they have developed in class-invite parents and community members.

Organise a free dress day with a special feature (e.g. wearing odd socks, a single colour) that symbolises inclusion and diversity in your school community.

Write your anti-bullying message in colour chalk on the school yard and create a mass student gathering for a photo.

Meet up with other schools in the area to share ideas for a school cluster event.
Create a sea of hands each designed by students with their personal anti-bullying message.

Set up a string line for students to add a flag with their personal anti-bullying message.

Empower your student leaders

Use the National Day of Action as an opportunity to develop your students' leadership skills in your school.

Inspire (and support) your students leaders to be positive role models for younger students, encourage other students to participate in school activities, and make a constructive impact on the school climate.

Invite student leaders to coordinate your schools events.

Harness the experience and social standing of your senior students through mentoring and demonstrating practical strategies in teacher-led class lessons about dealing with bullying.

Equip your student leaders with the Guide for senior students: running a bullying prevention project in your school (PDF 634KB), Word version (DOCX 550KB) to kick off their own bullying prevention project.

Professional development

Suggest your school uses the NEW RESOURCE Professional learning: Bystanders to student bullying at a staff development session. The document provides three activities for staff on how schools can support students to be safe and supportive bystanders to bullying.

Organise a session for school staff development to view the What is bullying? whiteboard animation videos, a series of four short animated videos which unpack the national definition of bullying for Australian schools. Use the short set of discussion questions (PDF 1.0MB),(DOC, 1.5MB) created for staff development activities.

Choose one of the Research snapshots for discussion at a staff meeting or professional development session.

Test your knowledge about bullying by completing Professor Ken Rigby's Quiz "What do you know about bullying?" on his Bullying in Brief website. The Quiz poses 40 true/false questions and you can check your answers against the latest findings from Australian and international research. It is possible to apply to collect the group data from staff responses which may help planning for ongoing professional development. Please note, as the test is copyright to Ken Rigby, The Quiz may not be used to collect group data without permission from the author. Applications to do so should be made to ken.rigby@unisa.edu.au

Organise a session for whole staff development and discuss the Professional learning modules​​ on the Australian Government's Student Wellbeing Hub​ ​​.

Book ​a visit from ThinkUKnow to present to staff and parents about how you can help student have positive experiences online.

Contact the Australian Government's Office of the eSafety Commissioner's Outreach program (formerly Cybersmart Outreach) to provide information for students, parents and staff on ways to promote safe and responsible online behaviour.

Harmony Day

Harmony Day falls on or close to the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence each year.

Harmony Day also coincides each year with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The day celebrates Australia's cultural diversity and is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone, themes that link ​directly to the anti-bullying focus of the National Day ​of Action.

If your school celebrates Harmony Day, you could make the link for students between the Harmony Day themes and the anti-bullying focus of the National Day of Action.

Visit the Harmony Day website for resources for schools such as do-it-yourself downloadable products and education resources.

Let us know your ideas

Got another great idea to add to this page to share with other schools? Send us an email at BNW.Website@det.qld.gov.au.​​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
national day action bullying violence school events assembly teachers students parents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
School events and whole school activities help to raise awareness of how to prevent and deal with bullying. Use the suggestions and resources below for whole school events or come up with your own ideas. Check out our lesson plans and class activities for more ideas.

# data[].attributes.headline
Years 9-13 Bullying Superpowers Discussion Toolkit

# data[].attributes.subject
Years 9-13 Bullying Superpowers Discussion Toolkit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Our special superpower discussion starter helps students to learn what to do if they see bullying happening.

Our special superpower is a new animation for students from 9 to 13 years of age. It can also be used with students of other ages as appropriate.

The classroom discussion starter begins with viewing the animation as a class. This is followed by activities based on the video. Teachers can select from the activities as time allows and as relevant for the students' learning needs. Activities can also be conducted during lessons over a number of days.

The overall duration will depend on which of the three activities you choose to do. Duration for each of the activities is:

Activity 1: Bystanders can help stop bullying - 10-15 minutes

Activity 2: Learn about the strategies to respond if you see bullying - 30-60 minutes

Activity 3: What's our bystander strategy? - 30 minutes.

Teacher notes

The teacher notes (PDF, 503KB), Word version (DOCX, 411KB) provide general information, and some important notes for teachers to read before they conduct the activities, and instructions to run the activities.

The teacher's role in the discussion is to facilitate class contributions and discussion.

Preparation includes reviewing the Our special superpower video (and downloading if students will be watching it off-line) and deciding which of the three activities to conduct. The activities build in a logical sequence, but can be used flexibly. For each selected activity, print out the worksheet, cards or images as relevant.

It may be helpful to remind students of the definition of bullying at the beginning of the activities. Download the definition of bullying most appropriate for your students' age.

As a fun activity to conclude the discussion, you may like to provide the Make your own National Day of Action Poster (which can be found in the School materials to download section) ​for students to add their own anti-bullying message and picture.

Activity 1

Bystanders can help stop bullying

This aim of this activity is for students to learn things that bystanders can do that can help to stop bullying if it is happening to someone else.

Approximate duration: 10-15 minutes, depending on discussion. It can be run as a whole class or small group activity.

Download the instructions and worksheet for Activity 1 (PDF, 610KB), Word version (DOCX, 470.3KB).

Activity 2

Learn about the strategies to respond to bullying

The aim of this activity is for students to understand and practise each of the strategies they can use if they see bullying happening.

Anticipated duration: 30-60 minutes, depending on time given to the initial discussion and to the optional rehearsal of each strategy. It is designed to be run as a whole class activity.

Download the instructions and worksheets for Activity 2 (PDF, 1.2MB), Word version (DOCX, 954KB).

Download the images for each of the strategies for Activity 2 (PDF, 1.1MB), Word version (DOCX, 1.1MB).

Activity 3

What's our bystander strategy?

The aim of this activity is for students learn which of the strategies are most appropriate to use for different types of bullying and different situations.

Approximate duration: 30 minutes, depending on time allowed for discussion. It is designed to be run as a small group activity.

Download the instructions and worksheet for Activity 3 (PDF, 728KB), Word version (DOCX, 623KB).

The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence, held on the third Friday of March each year, is an opportunity for Australian schools to highlight their everyday work to counter bullying and violence.

The Bullying. No Way! website for Australian schools is managed by the Safe and Supportive School Communities Working Group which has representatives from all states and territories, including the Catholic and independent schooling sectors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Our special superpower discussion starter helps students to learn what to do if they see bullying happening. Our special superpower is a new animation for students from 9 to 13 years of age. It can also be used with students of other ages as appropriate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Bullying is NEVER OK! discussion starter helps students to learn what to do if they are bullied.

Bullying is NEVER OK! is a new animation for students from 9 to 13 years of age. It can also be used with students of other ages as appropriate.

The classroom discussion starter begins with viewing the animation as a class. This is followed by activities based on the video. Teachers can select from the activities as time allows and as relevant for the students' learning needs. Activities can also be conducted during lessons over a number of days.

The overall duration will depend on which of the three activities are conducted. Duration for each of the activities is:

Activity 1: Match the type of bullying with behaviour - 10-15 minutes

Activity 2: Learn about the strategies to respond to bullying - 30-60 minutes

Activity 3: Choose a strategy to respond to bullying - 30 minutes.

Teacher notes

The teacher notes (PDF,480KB), Word version (DOCX, 387KB) provide general information, and some important notes for teachers to read before they conduct the activities, and instructions to run the activities.

The teacher's role in the discussion is to facilitate class contributions and discussion.

Preparation includes reviewing the Bullying is NEVER OK! video (and downloading if students will be watching it off-line) and deciding which of the three activities to conduct. The activities build in a logical sequence, but can be used flexibly. For each selected activity, print out the worksheet, cards or images as relevant.

It may be helpful to remind students of the definition of bullying at the beginning of the activities. Download the definition of bullying most appropriate for your students' age.

As a fun activity to conclude the discussion, teachers may like to provide the Make your own National Day of Action Poster (which can be found in the School materials to download section) for students to add to their own anti-bullying message and picture.

Activity 1

Match the type of bullying with behaviour

This aim of this activity is for students to understand when various behaviours constitute physical, verbal or social bullying, or if they are not actually bullying.

Approximate duration: 10-15 minutes, depending on discussion. It can be run as a whole class or small group activity.

Download the instructions and worksheets for Activity 1 (PDF, 849KB), Word version (DOCX, 749KB).

Activity 2

Learn about the strategies to respond to bullying

The aim of this activity is for students to understand each of the strategies they can use if bullying happens.

Anticipated duration: 30-60 minutes, depending on time given to the initial discussion and to the optional rehearsal of each strategy. It is designed to be run as a whole class activity.

Download the instructions and worksheets for Activity 2 (PDF, 1.1MB), Word version (DOCX, 965KB).

Download the images for each of the strategies for Activity 2 and 3 (PDF, 1.1MB), Word Version (DOC, 1.1MB).

Activity 3

Choose a strategy to respond to bullying

The aim of this activity is for students learn which of the strategies are most appropriate to use for different types of bullying and different situations.

Approximate duration: 30 minutes, depending on time allowed for discussion. It is designed to be run as a small group activity.

Download the instructions and worksheets for Activity 3 (PDF, 1.1MB), Word version (DOC, 959.6KB).

Download the images for each of the strategies for Activity 2 and 3 (PDF, 1.1MB), Word version (DOC, 1.1MB).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Bullying is NEVER OK! discussion starter helps students to learn what to do if they are bullied. Bullying is NEVER OK! is a new animation for students from 9 to 13 years of age. It can also be used with students of other ages as appropriate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is your place for information and resources to help create respectful and supportive teaching and learning communities that promote student safety and wellbeing.

# data[].attributes.headline
Promoting Positive Body Image Activities

# data[].attributes.subject
Promoting Positive Body Image Activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many of the Walking Classroom adopters are classroom teachers that implement the program during the regular school day. Adopters understand that they aren't sacrificing instructional time, but they are actually covering the required curriculum in a way that science shows makes sense!

Students who walk, listen and learn are going to remember the content covered in a podcast in addition to having more focused minds and settled bodies long after the walk has ended.
My co-teacher and I love planning around the podcasts and feel that we are already farther ahead with literacy materials than we have ever been. It is great because we were able to tie in social studies one week, and the other week, we were listening to something we were discussing in language arts.
Students who are disengaged in the classroom, often due to a lack of confidence, can feel empowered and motivated to participate, as the delivery of content doesn't require them to grapple with difficult text. The Walking Classroom differentiates instruction and engages different learning styles - creating a more even playing field for all students to access the content being covered.

ESL and EC students will benefit from the exposure to challenging vocabulary and a wide array of content that increases background knowledge (with the added bonus of feeling more confident and willing to participate in discussions!).
My students (majority ELs from diverse countries) are all engaged and successful with in-depth discussions before, between the two listenings, and after, as well as correcting each others' listening comprehension quizzes and discussing the answers.
Students with behavior problems and/or high energy levels are going to feel more settled and ready to keep learning following a walk.
The Walking Classroom has been wonderful this year. We have used it so many ways...in our reading groups, in an after school club for 4th graders to walk and talk after school once a week, and I have also used it as a bonding technique with a student at our school with behavior problems. I take the student individually during my plan and we walk and listen and then talk about the podcasts. He returns to his class more relaxed and ready to learn. His behavior definitely improves when we walk! - Kim Creer, Reading Teacher
Students that struggle with obesity are going to increase their health literacy, have the opportunity to exercise more regularly and increase their energy level and stamina.
I had a parent tell me just yesterday in a conference that she suspects the reason that her formerly obese child is losing weight can be solely attributed to the Walking Classroom! It gave me warm fuzzies!
Struggling Readers have equal access to high-level content and feel confident enough to participate in follow-up discussions with their peers. They have the benefit of not having to struggle to decode a written text, but learn in a way that they can feel successful.
I have a wide variety of reading levels in my classroom so we usually cannot all read the same text. The Walking Classroom makes it possible for my struggling readers to easily join in the conversation as they have received all the material in a format they can understand.
Traditional instruction often leaves out auditory and kinesthetic learners.

Teachers are able to cover important content that they are required to teach with little to no additional planning on their part.

Targeted Intervention
The Walking Classroom is a wonderful resource for reaching and teaching ALL students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Implementing The Walking Classroom - The Walking Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many of the Walking Classroom adopters are classroom teachers that implement the program during the regular school day. Adopters understand that they aren't sacrificing instructional time, but they are actually covering the required curriculum in a way that science shows makes sense!

# data[].attributes.body
Lesson Plan Year 10 - Building Resilience

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Smiling Mind_Drawing Emotions on your body

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is the home page of the Student Wellbeing Hub. It supports the National Safe Schools Framework with resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum.