At Kerry Street Community School, we are committed to nurturing the whole child by fostering emotional, social, physical, and mutual wellbeing. Our holistic approach ensures that every student feels valued, supported and empowered to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
Each week, all classes come together in multi-aged groups for a variety of activities designed to support students in building resilience, mindfulness, and self-awareness. These sessions include yoga, singing lessons, art activities, and whole-body awareness practices, giving students the opportunity to explore strategies that help them feel calm, connected, and balanced.
We place a strong emphasis on children’s agency and actively involve students in shaping their learning environment. From creating classroom and school agreements to participating in Kids’ Council and Community Gatherings, students develop important life skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and shared responsibility.
At Kerry Street, wellbeing is not just a program, but a core part of our culture – one that inspires students to flourish as individuals and as active contributors to their community.
You can find out more about how Health and Wellbeing is supported at Kerry Street Community School by downloading the support document below:
Wellbeing Coordinator
The care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a central and fundamental responsibly at Kerry Street Community School.
We believe that being proactive about supporting and promoting mental health and wellbeing in our students is vital in today’s world and the world of the future. Life has its ups and downs. Students who are socially and emotionally competent are better able to navigate through these times with a positive attitude and optimism. Furthermore, development of these skills support students well beyond their Kerry Street journey.
Our Wellbeing Coordinator is employed two days a week under the National School Chaplaincy Program and works cooperatively with staff to support wellbeing.
Christie Sessler brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for fostering wellbeing to her role as Wellbeing Coordinator at Kerry Street Community School. With a professional background spanning over 15 years in education, mental health, and academic research in psychology and social work, Christie’s expertise lies in supporting children and families to thrive both personally and academically.
Her passion for children’s health and wellbeing was inspired by the birth of her daughter, whose curiosity and wonder have shaped Christie’s approach to creating supportive environments for young learners. Christie takes a holistic approach to wellbeing, integrating emotional, psychological, physical, and social development into her practice.
At Kerry Street, Christie’s role focuses on helping students develop the tools to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and confidence. By meeting children where they are with acceptance, understanding, and non-judgement, she creates safe spaces for authentic expression and growth. Her methods include a variety of engaging modalities such as play, movement, art, and storytelling, all tailored to the developmental needs of each child.
Christie’s philosophy centres on building connections, fostering mutual respect, and modelling compassionate communication. She believes these foundations enable children to develop emotional safety, self-esteem, and the skills to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Learning Enrichment Specialist
At Kerry Street, we recognise that all students are unique and may require tailored support to thrive in their learning journey. Our Learning Enrichment Specialist plays a key role in supporting the individual needs of students, providing academic intervention and extension opportunities that go beyond regular classroom differentiation. This involves collaborating closely with classroom teachers to identify students who need additional assistance or challenge, and implementing targeted strategies to help them succeed.
The Learning Enrichment Specialist focuses on literacy and numeracy, but support can extend into other curriculum areas as needed. Through collaboration with classroom teachers, parents, and school leadership, we ensure that each student’s needs are met, helping them build confidence and develop essential skills. By fostering critical and creative thinking, the specialist helps extend learners and ensures all students are engaged and challenged.
At Kerry Street, our commitment to individualised support creates a nurturing, enriching environment where students feel empowered to reach their full potential.
Sarah Weaving is Kerry Street’s Learning Enrichment Specialist. Sarah completed a Bachelor of Science in Zoology followed by a Post Graduate Certificate in Junior Education in the UK and is currently studying a Post Graduate Certificate and Masters in Counselling. Sarah has worked with children from Pre-Kindy to Year 7 across a variety of schools and found herself particularly drawn to Independent schooling. Sarah has a passion for authentic inquiry learning, play-based and place-based pedagogy.
Sarah firmly believes that connection and relationships are at the heart of education. She advocates for creating a safe and trusting environment that allows children to explore their world and learn effectively. A proponent of unstructured play, Sarah is actively involved in nature play, nature education, and immersion programs at Educated by Nature and the Herdsman Discovery Centre. Her passion for the natural world is evident as she enjoys observing the seasonal changes throughout the year.
A passionate reader and lover of children’s literature, Sarah delights in sharing the magic of stories, illustrations, poems, and texts with children of all ages. She encourages children to write for pleasure and to use words creatively and playfully, recognising the profound power of stories.
Sarah is a life-long learner, constantly researching new topics and exploring her local environment. She has a keen interest in understanding the intricate relationship between the brain and body and how this knowledge can help create a peaceful, loving, and just society. Her educational background includes studying Self-Reg with Dr. Stuart Shanker at the MEHRIT Centre, Interplay, and completing post-graduate studies in counselling.
I love to learn new things, be reflective in my practice and maintain my curiosity and wonder in the world. It is a privilege to be part of a community and to support the inclusion of all children in their own learning journey.
Sarah Weaving
Sarah aims to create a nurturing and safe environment for children by building calm, kind and trusting connections and considering unique needs and strengths with empathy and curiosity.
Kids’ Council
The Kids’ Council is designed to give students a say in the operation of the school, a chance to discuss issues and organise events important to them and an opportunity to improve speaking, listening and negotiation skills. Our students hold regular class meetings which in turn provide feedback to the Kids’ Council.
Recommendations from Kids’ Council meetings are sometimes referred to Council or whole school meetings. The Kids’ Council does not make decisions that are the responsibility of other groups or individuals (for example whether lollies are allowed at school).
Safety and Wellbeing
Kerry Street Community School is committed to prioritising the safety and wellbeing of our students and ensures that all policies, procedures, practices, and strategies are underpinned by our nominated child-safe organisational framework, National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
Read more about how Kerry Street supports student wellbeing, including the implementation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, in our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy on our policies page.
Kerry Street Community School explicitly forbids the use of any form of child abuse, corporal punishment, or other degrading punishment and provides clear guidance to all members of the school community about what forms of behaviour management are permitted through our Codes of Conduct.
The School will respond appropriately to complaints and allegations of grooming, child abuse, and breaches of the school’s Codes of Conduct in the best interests of the students and in line with the school’s policies and procedures. You can find out more about sharing feedback and raising concerns on our Feedback Page.
Our Child Friendly Complaints procedure supports students to voice their concerns and includes images and simple language, so it is accessible to all. It has been designed by students for students and is regularly reviewed by all students to ensure they understand how to report problems or concerns.
“Complaints systems are a fundamental part of ongoing organisational development to meet the needs of its intended consumers. They are also an important mechanism for correcting mistakes and for protecting people from abuse and mistreatment. Independent inquiries into child abuse, in Australia and internationally, consistently cite the same reasons children and young people give for not reporting abuse. These include not knowing how or who to complain to, and fear of not being believed or other repercussions if they do make a complaint.”
Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2013