Wellbeing

2024 is off and running and we are settling into the new routines of this school year. Change can be a scary and difficult thing for some students and sometimes our roads into the new year are a little more bumpy than we would have planned or anticipated. Our Wellbeing Team is here to work alongside teachers and parents to support students in their navigation of these big changes and emotions. Pilgrim School has plenty of initiatives in place to support healthy student wellbeing. An initiative that is developing as the year progresses is the growing presence of our wellbeing puppy, Lola. Lola has already stolen the hearts of many with her happy wagging tail and fluffy little face. She is nearly 8 months old and is learning quickly. Well, sometimes quickly. It’s obvious that she LOVES people and we are all excited to see how that character trait develops with time and maturity. We are all continuing with our training as staff, just as Lola continues training of her own. Dogs have been proven to have a positive impact on mental health, reducing stress and anxiety while promoting a sense of security and comfort. With Lola around, we aim to create an even more inclusive and supportive atmosphere within our school.

Wellbeing Initiatives:

How Lola Will Make a Difference

Letters to Lola and the Wellbeing team - A new letterbox will soon be available for students to write letters or cards for Lola. With a little support, due to her lack of opposable thumbs, Lola will respond to each of them. This initiative is to motivate reluctant writers and help foster a sense of belonging. The letterbox will also be a chance for students to easily communicate with the Wellbeing team, by dropping us a note to let us know when they need support dealing with emotions, life changes or friendship issues.

Social and Emotional Learning

Incorporating Lola into our Social and Emotional Learning programs will promote the development of emotional intelligence and enhance interpersonal skills among our students. Lola’s presence will provide opportunities for discussions around empathy, kindness, and responsibility.

Community Building

Lola will eventually participate in school events and community-building activities, fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie among students and staff. Lola’s paw prints have already left an indelible mark on our school, and we are eager to see the positive impact she will continue to make.

Blessings,

Carol Harry & Lola

Fathering Project

Be Involved in Your Child's Learning Journey

Right from birth through to adulthood you shape your child’s growth and development. Whether it’s playing and teaching them when they are babies and toddlers, supporting their education at primary and high school, or encouraging them to pursue their dreams and aspirations as teenagers through to adulthood.

Fathers have not only been shown to have a significant impact on academic achievement, but children’s attitude towards learning and school is also very strongly influenced by their fathers. So, if you model and encourage a love of learning you will be setting your child up for success throughout their lives.

It’s important to note that the evidence does not show fathers’ influence as superior to that of mothers but as a separate, important factor in children’s successful transition through infancy to adulthood. A father’s influence on children’s cognitive development, social skills, mental health, literacy and maths achievement is found to be different to that of mothers.

Top Tips

Support your child with their homework. Discuss what they have to do and how they are going to do it.
Don’t put pressure on your child – encourage them to be as good as they can be and help them plan how to improve.
Give your children the freedom to make mistakes.
If your child is having trouble with homework and it is causing stress or arguments, put it aside, take some time away from it and try again later. If there are still problems, contact the teacher to discuss solutions.
Tell your children that making mistakes is part of learning. We don’t always get things right the first time round and that is okay when we try to learn from our mistakes.
Read with your child from an early age.
Attend school events and parent-teacher nights where possible.
Encourage your child to see the positives of school – the importance of education and learning, making friends and socialising, learning new skills and taking part in activities.

To register with the Fathering Project or to access the portal please use the QR code below.

Carol Harry, Lola, Andrew Edmondson, Brett Middleton and Jordan Wheatcroft

Wellbeing Team