Berry Street Education Model

In today’s changing and complex world, our students encounter daily challenges that can impact their success at school. These can range from ongoing stress, anxiety, change in the family structure, changing schools, friendships, social media, a lack of family support or a specific traumatic event. To help and support students, schools often require specialised strategies to address student needs for healing, growth, and achievement.

The Berry Street Education Model provides schools with the training, curriculum and strategies to engage all students. This education initiative is based on proven positive education, trauma-informed and wellbeing practices that enable students’ academic and personal growth.

Last Friday our staff commenced the first of 4 professional learning days, exploring the Berry Street Education Model. This model enhances the existing practices already in place here at Our Lady Star of the Sea School, through Respectful Relationships and the Kids Matter framework. It also further supports the development of school-wide practices and cultures that enable our students people to:

• deeply connect ‘who they are’ and ‘how they can be’ in the world
• reach their potential
• build positive and connected relationships
• develop skills and attitudes that promote wellbeing and resilience
• deepen their appreciation of learning, their perseverance and their stamina
• lead optimistic, graced and hope-filled lives of impact.

On Friday we explored the first domain within the Berry Street Education Model - Body.

This domain is centred on building students’ capacity by increasing physical regulation of the stress response, de-escalation and focus. We revisited the conditions required for humans to be able to learn, including exploring how the brain functions.  We explored the role mindfulness plays in learning and the importance of ‘brain breaks’ for students.

Our next staff professional learning day, focusing on the Relationship and Stamina domains of the Berry Street Education Model will be held in Term 3. The final two training days for the Berry Street Model will take place in 2020.

Paul Anderson

Student Wellbeing Leader