Macquarie Anglican Grammar School

Head of Wellbeing – Mr Wade Richardson

In the PERMA theory of Wellbeing, Relationships are a crucial component that impact our overall wellbeing.

It refers to the quality and depth of our connections with others, including family, friends and community. At Macquarie, we believe that fostering positive relationships is essential to promoting the wellbeing of our students and staff.

We understand that strong relationships require ongoing effort and investment, and at Macquarie, we're committed to providing ample opportunities for our students, staff and families to connect with one another. Our four House structure, including Chisholm, Cuthbert, Dunlop and Flynn, is designed to foster healthy competition while building strong relationships through various events, such as sporting carnivals and STEM challenges. Additionally, our Senior School employs a vertical Tutor Group system that promotes connections within Houses, spanning across Year 7 to Year 12 while our Kindergarten to Year 6 Peer Support program promotes connections within the Junior School.

To further support our community's sense of belonging, our P&F committee has recently published a calendar of events for 2023. This includes a diverse range of gatherings, from parent get-togethers to student talent shows, to a family Colour Run, offering something for everyone to engage and participate in. Whether it's through group activities, events or community gatherings, by promoting positive relationships, we can create a sense of belonging, support, and connectedness that can have a positive impact on our mental health and overall wellbeing.

There are many ways that families can encourage children to foster positive relationships, including:

• Encouraging children to join a class, group or sporting team that interests them.
• Develop a strong sense of community by attending and participating in school events such as P&F hosted events, sporting carnivals and school camps.
• Modelling active listening and empathy when helping someone with a problem.
• Sending thank you cards to show appreciation for others.
• Reminding your children that you love them.
• Organising catch-ups and get togethers.
• Sharing old photos to remind yourselves of happy memories.
• Ask questions of the people you don’t know well to find out more about them.
• Get in touch with people you have not spoken to or connected with in a while.
• Volunteer within the community to establish connections with the wider community.