Letter from the Editor

My wife and I got some double glazing in our bedroom this week. Our house is on a road that can get a bit buzy, as tradies roar through on their way to get a morning coffee, cyclists in lycra fly past leaving not much to the imagination and the occassional truck shoots through to avoid the real main roads in the area (ah the gentle noise of engine brakes).

I'm obsessed. if you've ever seen the mid 90's film Ace Ventura Pet Detective, my first impluse was to run out side, start screaming and get my wife to open and close the window to see if she can hear me (IYKYK).

It got me thinking though, as all good educators do, how can I bring this some context to a school? Well, bear with me.

I think it comes down to a simple metaphor about stress. You see, we all face stress. Some feel it in our work, some face it on the sporting fields and some feel it as they move towards an amazing production they've been working at for the past 6 months (Shout out to the performing arts crew; chookas for next week's installment of Sweeny Todd!).

You see, double glazing is a protection to the noise of the outside, and a way to retain the heat inside. I like to think schools build the capacity of students to create their own double glazing. We want our students to block out the noise, those things that are bringing stress, anxious feelings and negativity, whilst keeping the good stuff in- confidence, positivity and joy. And just like double glazing doesn't stop the weather from existing, resilience doesn't remove life's challenges. The wind will still blow, the rain will still fall, and there will always be noise beyond the glass. What matters is that our young people learn how to respond to those conditions rather than be controlled by them.

 Sometimes we leave the window open, and sometimes we need somone to help close it up and help us insulate. There will be times when the glass feels fragile, when stress or disappointment finds its way through the gaps. In those moments, students don't need to face things alone. Families, teachers, friends and the wider community become the extra layer of insulation, helping them repair the cracks and rebuild their confidence.

Our hope is that every young person leaves school with windows that are strong, clear and well maintained. Able to let in new ideas and opportunities, while keeping hold of the warmth, optimism and self-belief that will help them thrive long after they leave our classrooms.

Jack Lynch

Editor