In the Know

From the Leadership Team

Practising wellbeing every day

Chris Barr, Head of Junior School

It is with a great deal of pride that I write this article. To see a community band together the way in which Kilvington has over the past few weeks has been simply amazing. While not necessarily easy, both staff and parents have once again successfully enabled another relatively smooth transition between onsite and remote learning for our students. 

 

In saying this, we also recognise that for some people within our community (students, parents and staff), this lockdown has been harder than others. 

WELLBEING WEDNESDAY 

For this reason, last Wednesday the School planned Wellbeing Wednesday - a day to intentionally focus on wellbeing. Finding that work-life balance at the moment is hard, and we often find ourselves pushing through without taking the time to stop, reflect, be kind to ourselves and pay attention to our wellbeing. 

It was lovely to receive parent emails about Wellbeing Wednesday and the impact it had on their family’s wellbeing at this time.

 

'Having such fabulous suggestions and resources for the Wellbeing Day made it work. We loved that we could look forward to activities and plan them out ahead without having to make them all up ourselves. It really did put a spring in our steps today. The day went so quickly that we didn’t get through even a quarter of what we thought we might try! 

 We’re looking forward to trying some more of the activities on the weekend. This lockdown seems to be hitting the morale harder than any we’ve had before, but your Wellbeing Day has reversed that and given us a special, happy bonding time. We appreciate not everyone will be fortunate enough to experience it this way, but we were lucky and just wanted you to know how grateful we are.' - Year 5 Parent

 

'I was really impressed with the ideas and resources provided for Wellbeing Wednesday.   It looks like a lot of thought and work went into it, please pass on my thanks to the team that worked on that for the students (and parents!).' 

- Year 5 Parent

 

You can find the activities from our Wellbeing Wednesday day in the attachment below.

Wellbeing Day Offline Activity Grid 18 August.pdf

 

MANAGING WELLBEING AT HOME 

Wellbeing is one area, and specifically the management of emotions, that should be given high priority at this time for both our students and ourselves. With extended lockdowns, we will continue to see a wide range of emotions present on any given day. 

 

For some families, working at home will be a blessing while for others it will be an ongoing challenge. Whichever way we feel, it is important to acknowledge emotions and look for intentional ways to discuss these on a daily basis. 

TIPS TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILDREN'S WELLBEING 

Some of the ways we as adults can support children’s wellbeing at home include:

  • Keeping routines in place as much as possible.
  • Being creative about new activities, including exercise – looking for opportunities to do these activities as a family and building relationships at the same time.
  • Managing your own emotions – acknowledge and share these with your child, however, be mindful about what your child will take on board.
  • Staying in touch virtually – friends and family connection is vital, even if it is online.
  • Keeping your children in the loop – keep it simple though depending on your child’s age!
  • Being prepared to accept and ask for help.

As a parent, you know your child best. 

  • If they need a break, allow them to take a break.
  • If they need support, reach out to your child’s teacher.

We will endeavour to help where we can.

  • Be kind to yourself and them, everyone is doing a wonderful job.

We can also look to support our students by paying attention and looking for opportunities to develop life-long skills, which will also help to foster independence. These include:

  • Organisation skills – planning and prioritising the day’s events.
  • Attention and awareness – focusing on the task at hand.
  • Emotional regulation – managing anxiety, stress, boredom.
  • Cognitive flexibility – regularly switching between tasks.

The Centre of the Developing Child, Harvard University, states that 'growth-promoting environments provide children with the ‘scaffolding’ that helps them practise necessary skills before they must perform them alone.'

 

Adults (staff and parents) can help students develop these skills when learning remotely by:

  • Helping to establish routines within the home environment.
  • Modelling expected behaviour; sharing their own organisation strategies with students.
  • Creating and maintaining supportive and reliable relationships.
  • Acknowledging and talking through difficult situations.
  • Helping students to manage tasks, and engaging in conversation with students to ensure they understand what is required of them.

Further ideas about supporting your kids during the COVID crises can be found in this article.

 

Once again, we thank you for all you do to support our learning program here at Kilvington. It is a team effort that we appreciate so very much.

Staff news 

Julie Runchey has tendered her resignation to take effect at the end of the year as she would like to  spend more time with her family. Julie has been a testament to what Kilvington stands for – professional, knowledgeable, compassionate, caring and kind. 

 

We thank her for her outstanding contribution to the School over the past 17 years as a Lab Technician and a Science, Maths and Learning Support teacher. She will be missed and we wish her all the best for the future.

 

At the end of the year, we will sadly farewell Cora Alvarez who has been a valued member of the English Faculty for five years. Her contribution as Years 7 to 9 English Learning Area Coordinator and as a teacher have been invaluable. Her tireless generosity and professionalism will be missed. We wish her well in her new endeavours as she embraces other challenges outside the teaching profession.