As the landscapeof education and the workplaceshifts and evolves, so too does our need to create a thriving school environment where staff lead and live well. This includes utilising a multitude of strategies that build individual and collectiveresponsibility. Join us as we unpacka number of practical strategies you can apply directly to your school, creating a culture where staff thrive.

• Wellbeing matters in learning design: We can apply the WILD Framework to enable wellbeing in a range of classroom settings
• Supporting teacher autonomy matters: Integrating wellbeing theories intentionally in our learning design invites us to choose our own adventure
• Tangible tools matter: Navigating the challenge of integrating wellbeing in learning design in the WILD is easier with flexible tools

The Maroondah Positive Education Network aims to improve individual and collective wellbeing of students, staff, parents and the wider community. This ongoing collaboration between Council and the Department of Education is using a system-based approach to build capability, connection and community and enable our schools to create and maintain flourishing learning environments, where relationships are important and other people matter.

What we've achievedAs of August 2023, 27 government schools (21 primary, 5 secondary, 1 special development) are participating in the Maroondah Positive Education Network. Significant progress has been made since the project’s inception in 2016, including:

• The establishment of a HOPE (Head Of Positive Engagement) network, where schools work together and share practice around Positive Education and Wellbeing.
• HOPE (Head Of Positive Engagement) Leaders appointed and trained in each school.
• Building capability, connection, wellbeing literacy and flourishing learning environments via:

- Professional learning for staff- Interactive workshops and ongoing programs for students- Information sessions for parents

• Through partnerships with Eastland and Communities of Wellbeing, MPEN schools were involved in URStrong Friendology 'Language of Friendship' event attended by over 600 community members.
• Using tools including Resilient Youth Australia surveys, and the Maroondah Student Voice Forum, young people are voicing their wellbeing needs and opinions and we are using this data to inform our future directions.
• The Department of Health website says “We are also continuing the Maroondah Positive Education Model. This will provide further evidence to support the development of whole-school approaches to positive education, mental health and wellbeing.”
• In 2021 the Royal Commission into Mental Health recognized the work of MPEN, stating that ‘the schools in this network have made significant progress’ and ‘The Commission encourages the Victorian Government to continue to explore the potential to scale this program’. Read the report.
• In 2018, funding of $890,000 was provided by the Victorian Government to advance the project in Maroondah and investigate the scaling of the work across the state.

Join Professor Lea Waters and Anne Johnstone as they discuss the significance of fostering student agency in young people, and how Positive Education can bolster student agency.In this discussion, you will hear:

• Real-life examples from school communities across Australia.
• Research on the impact that Positive Education has on student voice.
• Insights from students.

Join us as we explore learnings and actions from the MACS Student Engagement Unit to support a whole of school approach to embedding wellbeing, enabling students to flourish and enrich the world.Wellbeing needs across schools are increasingly complex, with schools supporting and responding to these needs in a variety of ways. A systems approach to wellbeing is called for which recognises the unique environment of schools, highlighting the importance of partnerships with the school community, Parish, parents, staff, children, and young people.

This session will include:

• What we have learnt from working in partnership with our schools
• How we encourage schools to adopt a whole of school approach to wellbeing
• Practice, pedagogy, informed decision - making using multiple measures of data and research.
• Student centred with relationships at the heart.

Are you really paying attention?

This presentation will challenge your attention on attention and leave you questioning how your school is tackling this very real fragmentation on our ability to focus. We will explore the use of devices Haidt (2024), apps, socials Haugen (2023), and in-person connection Kline (2020), while sharing how we are trying to undo some of our policies in response to the strong evidence. Join us and be part of advocating for change.

• The Student Wellbeing Hub supports physical, mental and emotional wellbeing in schools. It provides free, Curriculum-aligned digital resources, webinars and professional learning courses which are funded by the Australian Government Department of Education.
• Take a deep dive into the Student Wellbeing Hub ‘Interoception and self-regulation’ resource suite, featuring activity videos, posters, songs and educator guides for K-12.
• Explore how building interoception skills can help children and young people to self-regulate their emotions and feelings, be calm and engage with learning, have positive wellbeing, and improve their academic performance.
• Educators at all levels can utilise these practical and inclusive strategies with their whole class. They support neurodiverse or trauma-affected children and young people who may not develop self-regulation skills as easily as others.

Research shows the pivotal role that belonging plays in overall wellbeing and academic outcomes. Cultivating a culture of empathy, support, and encouragement within the school community creates an environment where students feel valued, understood, and empowered to thrive across the many layers of their learning journey.

As educators, we recognise the profound impact that a strong sense of belonging can have on student application to learning and engagement in classroom practice, which has the capacity to significantly enhance academic performance. By exploring the intersection between resilience and student belonging, we recognise resilience as a key factor in navigating challenges and building strong connected communities. We also see belonging as a protective factor for things such as school absences, school refusal, and behaviours that are not compatible with successful academic outcomes. So, what can schools do to foster a greater sense of belonging?

This panel brings together thought leaders in the field of wellbeing education, who will discuss ways to cultivate belonging and connection in a school environment.

Audience takeaways:

• The significance of fostering a sense of belonging in schools.
• The consequences associated with a lack of school belonging.
• Strategies for facilitating a stronger connection between students and their school.