The following information is intended as a guide to support students when learning from home.
Ensure that your child or young person feels secure, safe and has a clear sense of belonging to their learning community:
- Talk to your whole family about what is happening. Helping them to understand the situation may reduce their anxiety. Reassure them that they will cope with this situation too.
- Keep contact with the school. The school will provide information on how this communication will occur.
- Keep connected by staying in touch with family members and friends via telephone or email.
- Staying connected online has never been more important, now that many of us are physically isolated from family members, friends, colleagues and support networks. eSafety (external website) is adding new content every day to help you stay safe online.
- Exercise regularly to maintain physical and mental wellbeing
- Establishing daily routines is important. Learning activities provided by the school will help you to maintain a learning routine.
- Ensure access to healthy meals and snacks and try to maintain a regular bedtime.
- Seek professional help if needed. It is normal for children and young people to show signs of distress during this period of time. However, behaviour that is extreme or prevents them from performing everyday tasks may be a sign that they need professional help.
To look after your child or young person you also need to look after yourself. If you need help looking after your own wellbeing the following organisations have useful information:
It is important that you take time to check in with yourself about how you are feeling. The following information can help you take care of your wellbeing while learning from home:
- When we are anxious or stressed we can feel scared, angry, confused or sad. If you notice that you are feeling this way there are lots of people who are here to help. You might like to talk to an adult you can trust such as your parents/carer or your school teacher/s.
- Stay in touch with family members and friends via telephone or email. Remember that it is important to stay safe when you are online. If you are experiencing any form of cyberbullying or feel unsafe online it is important to tell an adult you trust or your teacher/s. You can visit the eSafety Commissioner website or Kids Helpline website for more information.
- Exercise regularly to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing:
- Try to establish daily routines.
- Eat and sleep well. Make sure you are eating healthy meals and snacks and try to maintain a regular bedtime.
Useful links and contacts
- Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
- Kids Helpline Webchat
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- eSaftey Commissioner
- Headspace e-help
- ReachOut
- Working It Out
- Beyond Blue
- For information on health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, please contact your Community organisation.
- Phoenix Centre
- Southern Tasmania 6234 9138
- Northern Tasmania 6724 2820
We will add to this information over time to ensure there is a range of options to suit a child’s needs.
- Smiling Mind (external websites) activities for mindfulness
- Move, play and go (external website) – tips and activities for keeping children active
- Cosmic Kids Yoga (external website) – Apps and tools to support healthy minds in young people
- Go Noodle (external website) – free movement and mindfulness games and videos for children
- Listening walk: activity for children 4 – 6 years (external website) – a mindfulness activity to encourage your child to focus on the sounds around them
- Relaxation Exercises – Youth Beyond Blue (external website) – tools and tips for young people to learn to relax
- A Guide to Nature Play (PDF, 4.1MB) – ideas for creating nature play opportunities for your child in your own back yard
- Healthy headspace Action Plan (PDF, 508KB) – a resource to guide young people to think about their mental health and create a healthy headspace
- Beyond Blue: helpful contacts and websites (external website) – sites and organisations to seek some extra advice or talk to someone about mental health
- Tassie Hawks at Home (external website) – video resources from the Hawthorn football players on improving skills and being healthy