At the Werribee campus, our Years 1–6 students recently took part in a series of engaging and purposeful workshops delivered by Big Kids' Table (BKT). These sessions are designed to create safe, honest and age-appropriate conversations that support students in understanding identity, relationships and the changes that come with growing up, all within a strong Biblical framework.
Throughout the workshops, students explored a range of important topics in a sensitive and age-appropriate way. These included puberty and the physical and emotional changes that occur as they grow, as well as developing a healthy understanding of themselves and their bodies. Students were also guided in what it looks like to build healthy, respectful relationships, with a focus on kindness, communication and valuing others.
BKT deliver their programs using practical tools to prepare them for real life situations. Students learned how to recognise safe and unsafe behaviours, understand personal boundaries, and identify what to do if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. The workshops also addressed body safety and online safety, providing students with strategies to navigate challenges they may encounter both in person and online. All workshops wrapped up with a help-seeking message. Students were supported to identify trusted adults in their lives and were reminded of the importance of speaking up and asking for help when needed.
All of the BKT workshops are intentionally grounded in a Biblical perspective, reinforcing that each person is created in the image of God and deeply loved. BKT encourages students to understand identity and relationships through God’s design, pointing them back to His love as the foundation for how we treat ourselves and others. This message is captured in the verse that underpins their work:
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:7–10)
In addition to the student workshops, BKT ran pre-workshops for both parents and staff. These sessions were highly informative, providing valuable insight into the content, language and approach used with students. Parents and staff were equipped with practical strategies and greater confidence to continue these important conversations at home and in the classroom. This whole-community approach ensures consistent support for students as they grow and develop.
We thank the Big Kids' Table team for these valuable workshops as they have been a positive and enriching experience for our Heathdale community, and have worked to equip our students with knowledge, confidence and a faith-based foundation to navigate change, build healthy relationships, and seek help when needed.