Wellbeing@VIS

At VIS we recognize that healthy social, emotional, and physical wellbeing is essential for all learners to reach their full potential. We therefore aim to embed a culture within our community in which every person feels valued and emotionally supported in a healthy, safe and secure environment; has or can access tools to support their personal wellbeing; and is able and willing to support and respect the needs of others - a diverse culture that is equitable and inclusive, with justice at its core.

What is Wellbeing@VIS?

The “Wellbeing@VIS” framework encapsulates VIS’s Dream Three of “Fostering the well-being of our learners”–one of the 5 Dreams in our Road Map to our Destiny. It is constructed around the pillars of Wellness, Child Safeguarding, Data Protection and Health and Safety, which focuses on four aspects also known as the 4 C’s: Curriculum, Culture, Compliance, and Conversations.

How did it begin?

The concept started developing in March 2020 when schools were forced to move online, and we realized the COVID pandemic was going to have a lasting impact on the wellbeing of both students and staff. 

During SY20-21, a Wellbeing Task Force was convened comprising teachers and administrators who expressed an interest in this topic. The primary goal was to define a vision for Wellbeing@VIS that would guide future work.

In December 2020, VIS reinforced the focus on Wellbeing@VIS by establishing a mindfulness garden as a space where staff and students could take time out to replenish by engaging their senses in mindfulness activities. Working with a local graphic design consultant to create appropriate signage for the new space, the character of “Souk” emerged – a dragon-guide to accompany people on their wellbeing journey. Souk means happiness in Laos and was named by one of our third grade students. This work gave rise to the branding of various aspect of wellbeing work being undertaken during the year and Souk now helps to tell the story and shape conversations with students.

By June 2021, VIS had refined the initial Wellbeing@VIS framework to reflect the various initiatives worked on during the year. Wellbeing@VIS would be constructed around the pillars of Wellness, Child Safeguarding, Data Protection and Health and Safety - by focusing on four aspects:

• Curriculum: developing an age-appropriate, vertically aligned social emotional curriculum aimed at helping students and staff teach, model and practice 5 core competencies around 4 dimensions: Being Cared For, Caring for Self, Caring for Others and Caring for the World (based on the CASEL curriculum framework).
   
• Culture: leveraging the 8 forces that shape culture (expectations, language, time, modeling, opportunities, routines, interactions, and environment) and using 6 tools to create a culture in which everyone is able to care for themselves and support others.  (Based on Cultures of Thinking by Ron Ritchhart).
   
• Compliance: putting in place the policies, systems and processes to ensure a healthy, safe and secure environment in terms of Child Safeguarding, Data Protection, Health and Safety, and Risk Management.
   
• Conversations: having the time, tools, training and teams in place to take this work forward.

This framework was officially launched at the start of SY21-22 during the opening in-service week. Four series of “Souk and Friends” posters/presentation slides were designed to launch key aspects of the 4 pillars of Wellbeing@VIS. All admin and faculty completed five on-line training modules while the Lao support staff completed online Child Safeguarding training which had been specifically translated into Lao by members of the VIS community for this purpose.

At the same time, the opportunity to seek CIS re-accreditation by taking a deep-dive into Wellbeing arose and this allowed VIS to identify and focus resources on 5 projects (known as “Dream Projects) that aligned with the Wellbeing@VIS framework. These Dream Projects build off of the priorities identified in our Road Map to our Destiny Plans for the next two years and are as follows:

• Project 1 – Compliance: “We will put in place the policies, systems and processes to ensure a healthy, safe and secure environment in terms of Child Safeguarding, Data Protection, Health and Safety, and Risk Management”.
   
• Project 2 – Curriculum: “We will develop an age-appropriate curriculum that supports healthy, social, emotional and physical wellbeing, develops competencies and encourages advocacy to help learners be cared for, care for themselves, care for others and care for the world.”
   
• Project 3 - Teaching and Learning: “Our students’ unique potential is nurtured by providing personalized challenge and support for all learners”.
   
• Project 4 – DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice): “We will seek to cultivate a diverse culture that is equitable and inclusive with justice at its core”.
   
• Project 5 – Conversations: “We will ensure that all learners (students and adults) have or can access the tools and resources to support their own wellbeing”.