CLARE at St Clare’s is about students’ wellbeing

With statistics showing that many adolescents suffer from mental illness, many schools are now acknowledging the need to provide students with a holistic approach to education with a stronger focus on students’ wellbeing.

St Clare’s High School, Taree is one and it is trialling a Positive Education CLARE framework aimed guiding staff to enhance the wellbeing of students using this framework. This teaches students how to develop a positive attitude, emotions, relationships and a sense of purpose about self, school and life.

Currently in a trial phase, the program has been implemented at St Clare’s High School in a number of ways.

The framework is embedded into all aspects of school life – spiritual, academic, pastoral and co-curricular – and represents five key domains: Connect, Learn, Aspire, Respect and Engage (CLARE).

The Connect domain highlights the importance of having strong relationships with faith, tradition and community to enhance overall wellbeing.

The Learn domain teaches staff and students how to respond and adapt to difficult circumstances in an open-minded and optimistic way that will enable them to thrive and become more resilient.

The Aspire domain focuses on the individual – how they can be the best, most authentic version of themselves and find a sense of purpose in life.

The Respect domain teaches staff and students to show love, kindness, generosity and fairness to all of those around us and our environment. It develops an understanding of the need to treat people they way you would like to be treated.

The Engage domain develops an awareness around ones’ psychological connection to life and the impact of positive relationships and engagement on an individuals’ wellbeing and achievement.

Students participate in weekly lessons about the framework, learning about each of the different domains and completing age appropriate activities from Beyond Blue about relationships, resilience, self-worth and personal responsibility.

Students and staff have also begun to implement the framework and its language when planning school events and fundraisers and by getting involved in community events such as ANZAC Day and the Taree CatholicCare community kitchen.

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