Expressive Arts Therapy sessions are available within the school, for individuals and groups. Sessions use a variety of techniques including art, drama, movement, music, poetry and sand play which feel natural and enjoyable.
These modalities focus on the strengths of the child and assist in issues which may be impacting on learning, relationships, and self-esteem.
Children enjoy and benefit from attending these sessions in the ‘Calming Cave’, where a safe, low-light, sensory atmosphere encourages them to learn about themselves in a non-judgemental environment.
Our expressive therapy program provides children with opportunities for self-expression and awareness. As well as being beneficial to the child’s social and emotional development, neuroscience indicates this can allow the brain to establish new, productive patterns for learning and engagement.
The Willy Play Pod is a shipping container which is filled with ‘spare parts’. It includes all sorts of factory off-cuts including wooden, plastic and materials (all quality controlled for safety purposes) with which children can let their imaginations run wild. The children build all manner of things, rocket ships stages, cars, beds, swings, slides; you name it they build it! This then leads to all sorts of imaginative games and role play.
The Play Pod is a wonderful complement to our Willy Kids program and the whole school philosophy about relationships, to one another, the environment and the curriculum. Our understanding of children learning through exploration needs to be lived in all aspects of school life, and the pod allows for the seamless flow of creative, innovate and friendly learning spaces from the classroom to the school yard. Current research and practice tells us that students learn best in an environment which is rich in opportunities for experiential learning and caters for consideration of developmental factors. To that end, our school has been working on practices which exploit those opportunities.
Students in our Year 3/4 cohort form the Pod Squad. This leadership group work on rotating shifts each lunchtime to manage and assist students playing with the Pod equipment. You’ll see them unlocking the Pod, helping reach for or carrying equipment, modelling safe and creative play, and supervising the pack-up process. The Pod Squad is yet another fabulous leadership opportunity for our Willy Kids.