Miss Marg's

Mental Health Motivations

My thoughts

Over my many years at Cowwarr Primary School, I have witnessed many changes. One thing that has remained constant, however, is the commitment of our staff to supporting every student to become the best version of themselves and to equip them with the skills they need for a successful future.

Achieving this takes a team effort. Staff, students and families all play an important role, and when we work together, we give our children the best opportunity to thrive.

As our world continues to change, research suggests that many children are starting school with lower levels of independence and finding it more difficult to regulate their emotions. At Cowwarr Primary School, we have an opportunity to work together to help reverse this trend and ensure our students develop the confidence and resilience they need for life.

Like all of us, children experience disappointment and frustration. They may struggle when faced with a challenge, when things don't go as planned, when they don't get as much time at a preferred activity as they hoped, or when there is an unexpected change to their routine. As a result, schools are seeing an increase in emotional meltdowns.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is resilience. Building resilience doesn't mean preventing children from experiencing difficulties, it means supporting them as they learn to navigate them. By acknowledging their feelings while encouraging them to work through challenges independently, we help them develop confidence in their own abilities. As adults, our instinct is often to step in and solve the problem, but sometimes the most valuable support we can offer is to pause, encourage, and allow them the opportunity to work things out for themselves.

Children naturally want to be independent, especially in their early years, and it is important that we nurture this desire. When they do encounter challenges, our calm and reassuring presence makes a significant difference. Children often mirror the emotions of the adults around them. By remaining calm, we model emotional regulation and help them learn strategies to manage their own feelings.

School also provides children with the opportunity to interact with people from a wide range of backgrounds, personalities and abilities. These experiences help build empathy, understanding and inclusion. Learning to appreciate and respect differences from an early age prepares our children to become compassionate, respectful members of their communities.

Together, we can continue to foster independence, resilience, empathy and confidence in our students, to not only support their success at school but also preparing them for a bright and fulfilling future.