Emotional Growth

Emotional Literacy for all matters

Knowing that every child is moving along a learning path that is building both cognitive and emotional skills and capabilities is critical. What is most important though is understanding that this will look different for every child at any given time.  We work hard to support Emotional Growth in our students because we know that learning will not occur if a child does not feel psychologically safe and regulated. Both are connected directly to children being able to identify and share the emotions they are feeling - we call this emotional literacy. 

Psychological safety

'I know I will make mistakes and I feel safe making mistakes' is a very big part of feeling safe at school or in any environment. Being able to be vulnerable, share our feelings and emotions with others when things go wrong is one layer we actively foster in our school. Without psychological safety (linked to sound emotional literacy), learning will not occur. 

Regulating our bodies

Understanding the emotions that are causing particular feelings in our bodies is the second layer to our learning puzzle. 

Our nervous system is complex and we all know that negative feelings are certainly needed to keep us safe and conscious of problems and risks around us. 

It's ok to be angry, upset, nervous and even anxious - they are body signals that we should listen to. However when our bodies remain in a state of dysregulation and our nervous system is not regulated and in balance, learning will not occur.  

Focusing on EMOTIONAL GROWTH is as important as cognitive (academic/thinking growth) to us at Wollert PS because of this. There is no bad emotion. We just need to understand how to identify them and control them before they control us.

BRIEF EMOTIONAL UPLIFTS (BEUs)

How do BRIEF EMOTIONAL UPLIFTS (BEUs) support our Wellbeing?

Small positive emotions can protect us from BIG ISSUES that cause big negative emotions. Most people are able to 'calibrate' emotions day to day but ongoing exposure to big negative emotions decreases our wellbeing significantly. Think back to COVID restrictions and the big negative emotions felt - hope and positivity decreased quickly, with anxiety and negative wellbeing increasing.

Research suggests there are many ways to 'make deposits into our wellbeing bank accounts' so we can draw on these during tough, challenging days. At Wollert we actively include these in our day to day work. Things like positive habits, goals, a focus on strengths and positive relationships are among many focus areas in our school. 

A BEU is a MICRO MOMENT of POSITIVITY that is easily shared but changes our brain chemistry to allow problem solving and metacognition to occur, undoes stress and spreads kindness and joy like a contagion.  Examples include smiling, sharing a joke, listening to uplifting music, viewing a bite sized funny or joyous clip, a hug, sharing of a favourite food item, a note from an anonymous friend, someone letting you in front of them in line, getting the door held open for you...

Our values Be KIND and Be JOY authentically create BEUs across the school when we demonstrate them. Change someone's day today by consciously sharing a BEU - we promise it will not only build someone else's wellbeing bank account, but also yours.

Be JOY, Be KIND is the Wollert Way