Every week is Wellbeing Week at Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 126 No 8, 12 November 2021, page no.21
Our wellbeing encompasses all the little daily habits we create to keep ourselves on track, and at Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School (PBC) we’re encouraged and supported to be the best possible version of ourselves.
Our school community does an exceptional job at giving us time and space to build collaborative relationships, which have become the building blocks of wellbeing at PBC. This would not be possible without the support of our school leadership team.
Wellbeing champions from across the school lead activities in service to others to really cement the “why” behind positive psychology, and provide a broad range of activities such as: the Ladies Shed, pilates, paint and Prosecco, breathwork and ice baths, meditation, book club, yoga, team sports dress, Wellbeing Week 8 T2, State of Origin BBQ, gardening with Tom, sailing, donuts, and denim day, to name just a few.
But the PBC wellbeing program goes well beyond a glorified social calendar, providing an environment that is strengths-based and focused towards a relational culture. We use the PERMA+ elements to underpin staff wellbeing and have built capacity in the wellbeing program beyond the individual (PERMA+, Positive Psychology Framework: The White Paper, SAHMRI Institute, 2016). The science of wellbeing is a platform that promotes genuine human connection and allows members at PBC to feel valued within the workplace.
For us, every week is Wellbeing Week! We schedule a term calendar of events, daily check-ins, authentic communications, and activities to promote human connection on a regular basis. Consequently, members report feeling valued, energised to give to others, and enthused to participate in activities which bring them joy and create flow.
Being in a border community during COVID has really emphasised the importance of relationships in the workplace; we no longer take staffroom coffee chats for granted. Human connection and relationships are supported through projects such as “The Good Human Project”, which enables staff to recognise other members who have displayed great qualities and characteristics.
Positive management = positive workers. Our executive principal, Chris Capra, supports the culture within the school and routinely displays positive characteristics. As he says: “It’s not about the coffee, it’s about getting staff in one place to have a chat and a chance to catch up.” These small initiatives underpin the PBC approach to wellbeing and reflect the philosophy that one person is never too small to make a difference.