“Turn your attitude to gratitude”

“Happiness is not the result of bouncing from one joy to the next; achieving happiness typically involves times of considerable discomfort. It’s more than simply a positive mood, it’s a state of wellbeing that encompasses living a good life.” Dr Michael Car-Gregg.

During this time of uncertainty – due to many local and global events - it is good to stop and reflect on what makes us happy and for what we are grateful. You would have recently received a notice via the Mount Alvernia College APP that the College has introduced a whole school initiative around Personal Wellbeing Practices. This week’s practice focused on Gratitude. During Home Room students were asked to write down three things they were grateful for and discuss the reasons. I encourage you to speak with your child and discuss their responses. For further information on happiness and gratitude, a quiz and interviews with leading specialists, refer to our School TV link: Happiness & Gratitude | Mount Alvernia College (schooltv.me). Please read a student reflection on happiness and gratitude at the end of this article

This Sunday, 20 March is ‘International Day of Happiness’. This campaign is a global celebration to mark the United Nations International Day of Happiness. It is coordinated by Action for Happiness, a non-profit movement of people from 160 countries, supported by a partnership of like-minded organisations. “This International Day of Happiness is more than just a fun celebration, it also reminds us all that the world is a better place when we connect with and care about the people around us” Dr Mark Williamson (March 2015). For more information on how you and your family can be involved, please go to the following link: International Day of Happiness - 20 March.

Raising adolescent girls can be both challenging and rewarding. The physical, psychological, and emotional changes that occur during this time can be difficult for our girls, but also for their parents/caregivers. At times, you may feel uncertain about how best to support your daughter through the ups and downs of adolescence. As the need for and reliance on social media and technology increases, mental health concerns also increase due to many factors. It is evident in this transition phase that students need positive role models in their lives who encourage them to step up and help them find the courage to believe in themselves, resulting in positive self-respect and confidence. For useful information and videos on ‘Raising Girls’, please go to the School TV link: https://mta.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/raising-girls.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all Year 9 students on their positive attitude this term and hope they continue to find the courage to raise the bar and challenge themselves in all aspects of life. I wish year 9 students all the best for their final assessments and for the remainder of the term and look forward to Year 9 Reflection Day (Friday 25 March). You will receive further information about this soon.

I hope all your family are well and safe and have a lovely Easter break - please reach out if needed (chrit@staff.mta.qld.edu.au)

STUDENT REFLECTION - Amaeh Reed

Gratitude and Happiness

Over two-thousand years ago the Roman scholar Marcus Cicero observed “Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but the parent of all others.” Cicero viewed gratitude as the heart of all happiness and that remains true today. As we advance towards the end of our first term of 2022 it is important to keep gratitude in mind. In our everyday lives we can find it terribly easy to slip into the mindset of negativity. We sometimes find ourselves considering school and work more as a chore, rather than the privilege that it really is and the opportunities it bestows upon us. It is when we find ourselves slipping into this mindset that we are provided the opportunity to take a second, step back, and focus on how grateful we really could be. Consider, for example, many people of our own city who cannot attend school and work after their homes and campus’ have been inundated by floodwaters. Or perhaps, the plight of young people in Ukraine, forced to flee their war-torn country in bitterly cold temperatures. We here at Mount Alvernia are incredibly lucky. When we practice gratitude, we grow to be healthier and happier people. Those things that touch us, the things that we appreciate, stay with us, and become embedded into our very being – they tell us who we are and what we stand for. The things we are grateful for become a piece of our heart that stays with us whichever path we travel. So, let’s keep gratitude close to our hearts because, as it has been wisely noted, “It is not happiness that brings us gratitude. It’s gratitude that brings us happiness”.

Amaeh Reed

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