Wellbeing

The same year Villanova celebrated its 75 years, the decision was made to embed a Wellbeing Program Be Your Best Self into the curriculum. This decision put Villanova at the forefront of student wellbeing and as 2023 came to a close, it was important to reflect on all the things accomplished in the wellbeing space in its inaugural year.

Wellbeing at Villanova is a holistic approach that addresses the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of our boys. Team building activities have been a regular feature along with social interactions across cohorts. In terms of measuring success, there has been regular evaluations on the program and the impact it has on the students and this feedback is then used for continuous adaptations and improvements. 2023 was an exciting year in the wellbeing space, where foundations were lead.

Be Your Best Self sees students from Years 5-12 undertake roughly 300 lessons in a range of topics such as Resilience, Motivation, Nutrition, Sleep, Grit, Friendship, Group Dynamics, Respect, Peer Pressure, Impacts of social media, Self-reflection, Identity and Growth Mindset to name a few.

A range of valuable experiences have been incorporated into the program to enhance student wellbeing. They include;

• Fun, meaningful and practical activities individually, in pairs and in small groups
• Self-reflection
• Mindfulness exercises
• Guest speakers and external professionals
• Collaboration with other year levels
• Outdoor activities

A range of other additions have been made to improve student wellbeing at Villanova. The Week in Reviews are a much-loved component of our assemblies, teacher/student matches at lunchtimes have brought a sense of fun and entertainment for the whole school and afternoons with ‘sister’ schools provide valuable opportunities to interact socially and develop respectful relationships. It has been a positive start to Wellbeing but there is much to be done!