At Lake Cathie Public School, we implement The Zones of Regulation, a widely recognised social-emotional learning program designed to help students understand and manage their emotions. This approach supports the development of self-regulation—also known as self-control, impulse management, or emotional regulation—by teaching students how to recognise their emotional states and use appropriate strategies to return to a calm, focused, and ready-to-learn mindset.
Self-regulation is the ability to manage emotions and behaviours in response to a given situation. For instance, children need higher energy levels during physical activity, like sports, and a calmer state when focusing in a classroom or library. Everyone, including adults, can struggle with strong emotions such as anger, anxiety, or fatigue, which can impact daily functioning and learning.
Through explicit teaching across all year levels, we equip our students with practical strategies to manage these feelings. This empowers them to face challenges, persist with difficult tasks, and build resilience. By learning these skills early, children are better prepared for future success and less likely to rely on negative coping mechanisms that may affect their wellbeing.
Our goal is to support students in becoming confident, capable, and emotionally healthy individuals—both now and in the future.
