Wellbeing
Transition back to face to face learning
It has been so exciting to see all the children return to face to face learning this week. Whilst most of the children were feeling excited about the return, for some students it has also been challenging particularly getting back into a routine.
There is a helpful tips sheet taken from the Seasons for Growth website that gives parents some helpful ideas how to help their child adjust. Whilst it is made for the beginning of the school year it is still very relevant to our current situation. Of most importance is being able to listen to the children and acknowledge how they may be feeling.
Talk to your children about their day and give them the opportunity to share any worries. Don’t share your own anxieties. Listen to your child’s concerns and validate their feelings to show them you’re listening and know they can handle it.
Acknowledge the transition back to school may not always be smooth. Listen to any worries and make a plan for dealing with these challenges. Perhaps practice with your child by role playing. This may help your child feel more confident to a handle the situation if it arises
https://www.goodgrief.org.au/sites/default/files/Transitioning%20Tips%202019.pdf
The teachers have planned lots of experiences for the children to help them transition back to school, focus and get ready to learn. It was lovely to see the children meditating and beginning the day in a calm way when they returned for their first day on Monday.
mConnect with Wellsprings for Women
We will be continuing to have our weekly Zoom meets with Wellsprings for Woman every Monday afternoon from 2.20pm until 3pm. All parents are welcome to join us for a chat, we would love to hear your ideas. This is an opportunity for you to connect with the school and other parents. This term we are going to work on producing an art piece that can be displayed at school. If you have any ideas or skills you could share or you would like to be involved but are unavailable at that time, please contact me and let me know. Parents are able to contribute to the art work even if they can’t attend the meeting. The code for joining the Zoom is as follows:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85138685427?pwd=TTZyZlRzc1VZTkRLdWVKM3FiOWFYQT09
Meeting ID: 851 3868 5427
Passcode: TL2Kqy
Lunchtime Social skills clubs
This week we have had different lunch time clubs available to the children to help them with the transition back to school and to provide opportunities for children to practice their social skills. On Monday we had card games group for Seniors and a technology group for the juniors with Tammy, where they programmed the Beebots. On Tuesday we played outside with the giant connect 4 games, on Thursday Silv played Bingo with the children and Maureen had a games club and on Friday Luli had some sports equipment set up during the first break. The children really enjoyed the different experiences and the opportunities to interact with each other especially after such a long time apart. We will continue having an outdoor games club on Tuesday lunchtimes and Art club on Wednesdays in Term 4.
Seasons for Growth
Seasons for growth is a program for children that helps them deal with experiences of loss and change. This term I will be running a program for children in Year 5 and 6. I will continue running the Seasons of Growth program in 2021 with children from Year 1 to 6. If you think your child may benefit from the program or you would like some more information about the program, please contact me rlenko@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au
The Resilience Project
The key principles of the Resilience Project are Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy. The team at RP introduced something during the remote learning period called GEM chat as a way for families to build resilience in their everyday conversations.
Ready to have a GEM chat? Try this question to practise gratitude in your next conversation with the family.
What made you smile today?
If you have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, particularly with the transition back to face to face learning, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Rachel Lenko
Student Wellbeing Leader