Chaplain's Corner

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome back to another new and wonderful year at Blackburn Primary School! I’m really looking forward to seeing you all, whether it is at Breakfast Club, Hobby Club or just out and about in the school yard! Please come and say hello!

I hope that you have all had a lovely time over the school holidays. I was lucky enough to spend some time over in the Philippines, visiting some Feeding Programs, helping to run a medical mission and speaking at a mental health seminar. It was a very special time. Feel free to come and ask me about it, I have some great stories to share!

However, I am super excited about this year, and no matter how you spent your break, I hope that you are feeling refreshed and ready to start the year in a positive way.

Do you set yourself a goal at the start of the year? Or do you have any New Year resolutions? My goal this year is to really listen well. I love a good chat, and I love sharing stories. But I also really love hearing other people’s stories, so this year it is my goal to really listen and hear from as many different people as I can. I cant wait to see what wisdom you all have to share with me! A good time to reflect on the importance of listening is Hearing Awareness Week.

World Hearing Day

This year the 1st of March to the 7th of March is Hearing Awareness Week. It is a week to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss, and to promote ear and hearing care across the world. Hearing loss can be a barrier to education, and at times a significant factor in contributing to cognitive decline and depression.

Did you know?

The first ever hearing aid was called an ear trumpet. It was a large horn shaped trumpet with an open piece at one end that collected sound. It then funneled that sound down into the ear. This device was then developed further by Thomas Edison, who invented the Carbon Transmitter. Which changed sounds into electrical signals that could travel through wires and be converted back into sounds.

The importance of listening

World hearing day is also a great time to recognize the importance of listening both in learning and as a vital social skill. Understanding how to practice good communication even in your day to day life, among friends, family, and significant others, is important for a number of reasons. It helps towards fostering good self-esteem, maximizing productivity, improving relationships, and even becoming a better speaker.

Some tips on how to encourage and foster listening skills:

1. Model effective listening: As parents our behavior often teaches our children more than our words do. When you are at home, make sure that you are modelling the listening skills that you want to see in your children. Insist that only one person speak at a time, and limit the distractions that are around you. It is best not to have a deep conversation while sitting in front of the television.
2. Teach them active listening tools: Our body language often highlights to others whether we are listening or not. There are a number of ways to show that we are. Make sure that you have eye contact, and that you are facing the person who is talking to you. You can try nodding your head, and using facial expressions to show your interest. Every now and then it is good to respond, rephrasing some of the information you have received is a good way to show them that you have heard.
3. Respond and validate: The best way to show active engagement in a conversation is to remember the information that you were told. To retain it and to follow up on the conversation at a later time. This is especially important if your child has shared something personal. Let them know that you have placed value on that conversation, and then don’t forget to check back in with them. Write yourself a little reminder note if needed.

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. If you listen, you may learn something new.” – Dalai Lama

Carly Cassidy – Chaplain [carly.cassidy@education.vic.gov.au]

Pastoral Care for the BPS Community, available Thursdays and Fridays