At St. Raphael’s School, we are proud to be part of the West Preston Catholic Parish Community, where we actively embrace the teachings of the Gospel of Christ. Our mission is to support families in their vital role as the primary educators of their children.
Together, we embark on a shared journey of faith, uplifting and encouraging one another in our spiritual growth.
Within this nurturing community, children thrive in every aspect of their development—academic, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual. Here, they are empowered to flourish as well-rounded individuals, ready to embrace the world with confidence and compassion.
At St. Raphael’s, we are committed to providing a safe, engaging, and inclusive learning environment for all students. We understand that students reach their full potential only when they are happy, healthy, and safe, and that a positive school culture is essential for engaging students and supporting their learning. Our school acknowledges that student wellbeing and learning outcomes are closely linked.
We embrace the Gospel values of acceptance, honesty, trust, and hope, and through integration with our Religious Education program, we provide meaningful and engaging experiences that connect students socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
St. Raphael’s is implementing the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM), a trauma-informed approach to education that focuses on building positive relationships, creating a safe and inclusive environment, and promoting self-regulation and resilience in students. We have also embedded the Resilience Project, which equips students with practical skills to navigate challenges, enhance emotional intelligence, and foster resilience. These initiatives work hand-in-hand to improve student outcomes and empower our young learners to thrive.
The school prioritizes fostering positive relationships between students and staff, as well as among the students themselves. Teachers and support staff take the time to develop meaningful connections with students, creating a safe and trusting environment where they feel heard, understood, and valued. We provide a physically and emotionally safe space where students are comfortable expressing themselves and taking risks in their learning. This includes creating sensory-friendly classrooms, establishing clear behavior expectations, and addressing bullying or other forms of harm swiftly and proactively.
Our focus on respectful relationships further enhances our school culture, promoting understanding and empathy among students. We integrate self-regulation and resilience-building practices into the daily routine, teaching students skills for managing stress, regulating their emotions, and developing healthy coping strategies. Students are encouraged to take breaks, practice mindfulness, and engage in physical activity to support their self-regulation.
We actively engage families and the wider community in supporting student wellbeing. This includes regular communication with families, involving them in decision-making processes, and providing opportunities for them to participate in school activities and events. The school also collaborates with community agencies to access resources and services that support students’ wellbeing.
To deepen their understanding of wellbeing practices and enhance their capacity to support students, the school provides ongoing professional development opportunities for staff. This includes training on topics such as trauma, mental health, self-regulation, respectful relationships, and cultural responsiveness. The school uses data to inform decision-making and measure the impact of wellbeing initiatives, collecting and analyzing data on student wellbeing, behavior, and academic progress to continuously improve practices and interventions.
By implementing the Berry Street Education Model and the Resilience Project, alongside our focus on respectful relationships, St. Raphael’s will create a supportive and inclusive environment that promotes the wellbeing of all students, helping them feel safe, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Policies regarding Student, Teacher and Parent Wellbeing can be found on out Policies Page.
Seasons
As part of St. Raphael’s School Pastoral Care Program trained companions will offer the Seasons Program to children who have suffered grief and loss as a result of death, separation, divorce, or life threatening illness of a loved one.
Seasons™ Loss and Grief is a unique peer support program developed by CatholicCare to help individuals and their families cope with the grief and feelings of loss resulting from separation, divorce, life threatening illness or death of a loved one. It is a peer support group that provides an opportunity for young people to express, acknowledge, normalize and integrate their grief.
Both companions and Participants will preserve the confidentiality of discussions within Seasons sessions. However, if disclosures are made which fall under the Mandatory Reporting Regulations the companions are required to report the matter to the Principal and the School Mandatory Reporting Policy will apply.
At the conclusions of the Sessions a debriefing session will be held with the companions and the Seasons Co-ordinator or other colleagues requested by the companions. These sessions will respect the confidentiality of the Seasons Group Participants by a sharing of experiences without individual participants being names.
The support of the whole staff for the Companions and Participants is essential to the success of the program but the confidentiality of the Seasons sessions and the debriefing will not at any time be breached unless required by the Principal within the Mandatory Reporting Policy of the School.