From the Assistant Principal 

Dear Families, 

Reframing After-School Chats: Helping Kids Find the Positives

It’s a familiar scenario: your child comes home, drops their bag, and when asked "How was school?", they either give a one-word answer or list everything that went wrong. After a long day, children naturally release built-up stress where they feel safest. Combine that emotional release with our natural human "negativity bias," and a tough moment on the playground easily overshadows the rest of their day.

Broad questions like "How was your day?" require a tired child to summarize hours of activity all at once. By swapping vague questions for targeted, positive prompts, you can help your child train their mind to notice the good moments.

Questions to Try This Week

• "What was the funniest thing that happened today?" (Focuses on joy and connection)
• "What went really well for you today?" (Highlights personal effort and wins)
• "Who were you kind to today, or who was kind to you?" (Reinforces empathy)
• "What was the best game you played at lunch?" (Focuses on play and social downtime)
• "What is one thing that surprised you today?" (Sparks curiosity about learning)

A small shift in your afternoon routine teaches children a vital life skill: even on challenging days, there is always something good worth remembering.

As part of the Berry St Program one of our classroom routines that teachers also focus on is 'what went well'. WWW is a positive reflection and gratitude routine used at the end of a lesson or the school day.

What went well happens during our morning circle and at the end of the day to help students in a number of ways. 

• Reflection: Students and teachers take a moment to look back at the lesson or day.
• Celebrating Success: Instead of focusing on what went wrong or what mistakes were made, the class highlights personal, social, or academic successes.
• Building Connection: It helps students build a sense of belonging, feel valued, and strengthen their emotional connection with peers and teachers.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your support this term and wish you a happy and safe holiday.

Jim Heelis

Assistant Principal