At Mount Sinai College, well-being is at the heart of everything we do. We take a holistic approach, nurturing every student’s educational, physical, emotional, and social development.

We are proud to be a Be You school, embracing a flexible, whole-school approach to mental health and well-being. Be You fosters social and emotional learning by working in partnership with teachers, parents, carers, and families to create a supportive and inclusive school community.

Our Be You Action Team, consisting of teachers from all learning stages, meets regularly to develop and implement well-being initiatives. A broader action team, including parents, further strengthens our commitment to fostering a positive and connected school environment.

At Mount Sinai, well-being is supported in both formal and informal ways.

FORMAL WELL-BEING INITIATIVES

• 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.
• 6 Kinds of Best Values Programme (Kind to Others, Environment, Self, Community, Learning, Achieving).
• 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 WELL-BEING INITIATIVES

• 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.

FOCUSING ON CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING BENEFITS THEIR LEARNING AND ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS CENTRAL TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF MOUNT SINAI COLLEGE.