At Mount Sinai College, wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. We take a holistic approach to nurturing each child’s educational, physical, emotional and social development, ensuring every student feels safe, supported and truly known.

Wellbeing at Mount Sinai is not a standalone program; it is embedded into daily life, relationships and learning across the school. Through both formal programs and everyday interactions, we work in partnership with families to support our students to thrive.

Grow Your Mind (GYM)

Mount Sinai College is proud to be a Grow Your Mind school, with social and emotional learning embedded across our whole-school culture.

Grow Your Mind is an evidence-based wellbeing program that builds resilience, supports respectful relationships and introduces age-appropriate consent education. Grounded in neuroscience and brought to life through storytelling, it helps children understand how their brains work, and how this affects their emotions, behaviour and learning.

Using playful animal characters to represent key parts of the brain, students develop a shared language to recognise emotions, make positive choices and regulate their behaviour. Teachers regularly reference the animals in everyday moments, helping students calm their Guard Dog, wake up their Wise Owl, or name feelings through the Sensitive Octopus.

This approach supports students in developing emotional literacy, confidence, and self-awareness, with learning carefully tailored to each child’s stage of development.

A Whole-School Approach to Wellbeing

Our wellbeing approach is strengthened through our alignment with Be You (formerly KidsMatter), which promotes a whole-school focus on mental health and wellbeing for both students and staff.

Our KidsMatter Action Team, made up of staff from across all learning stages, meets regularly to plan and implement wellbeing initiatives. This work is enhanced through meaningful parent involvement, creating strong connections between home and school.

Formal Wellbeing Initiatives

• 6 Kinds of Best Values Programme (Kind to Others, Environment, Self, Community, Learning, Achieving).
• SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) lesson is timetable weekly for every child in every class. Our school uses the Bounce Back programme, which focuses on issues such as resilience, emotions, relationships, courage, bullying and being positive.
• Lunchtime Clubs & Societies, providing a wide range of lunchtime clubs and societies to encourage students’ interests and passions and provide structured contexts for those students who need this.  Examples include Art Club, Tech Club, Public Speaking, Israeli Dancing, Science Club and Chess.
• Focus days such as Harmony Day and RUOK? Day watch video here
• Sports & Physical Well-being – Opportunities for students to engage in sports before and after school, including tennis and touch football.
• Buddy Programs – Building connections between students, such as Year 6 with Kindergarten and Year 5 with Prep, fostering mentorship and friendships. 
• Access to the School Psychologist – Providing students with additional support as needed.

Informal Wellbeing in Everyday Life

• The “Mensch Bench” – A safe space where students can sit if they need a friend, helping foster inclusion and kindness.
• Teacher-Led Conversations – Addressing real-time social issues that arise in the classroom and guiding students through conversations and targeted lessons.
• Encouraging Social Skills & Manners – Actively reinforcing respectful and appropriate social interactions.
• Collaboration Among Staff – Regular discussions among teachers and staff to ensure each child receives the support they need.
• Liaising with External Professionals – Working closely with specialists involved in a student’s care to provide holistic support.