From the Assistant Principal
lauren.hopkins@education.vic.gov.au
Resilience...
We talk a lot about resilience these days. Our school promotes resilience as a personal value; the media mentions the resilience of Olympians, businesses or communities in crisis; we even bemoan our toddler's lack of resilience when we give them the red cup instead of the blue cup; but what does it really mean? Is it even possible to find, recognise, practise and encourage resilience in these times of snap lockdowns?
Oxford Dictionary defines Resilience as:
RESILIENCE /rɪˈzɪlɪəns/
1.the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
2.the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
And so, if we dismiss definition #2 (although, after Mr Hopkins' many lockdown baking adventures I'd be happy to hear about an object (me) springing back into shape...but I digress) what does it mean if we strive to develop resilience in our children? Is it something we can give up hope on now when there are days that feel a bit bleak?
I think the opposite, the definition gives me optimism. Resilience does not mean that we greet every single moment with a cheery grin, it does not even mean that at all times we focus on remote learning at the expense of a relatively peaceful and loving home. No, it means that when faced with adversity, we do what we can to prepare our children to recover from this difficult period and face the rest of their lives with optimism. Because that is what comes next, after this storm comes a rainbow: the rest of our lives!
For all families this means something different, in mine it means continuing to make plans for the near and distant future. It means taking photographs (when I remember) to make an album that my boys can share with their grandchildren about that one time we had a pandemic. It also means prioritising treating ourselves and each other kindly, telling our friends and family that we appreciate them and also making extra effort to reach out to others and show kindness in some way or another.
How can you focus on developing the building blocks of resilience in your family this week? Remember, you don't have to FEEL resilient to build it in others!
Raising resilient children:
One of my favourite speakers and adolescent psychologists, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg speaks authoritatively about what the research says about raising resilient children. Over the many years, his basic message has not changed.
Resilience is defined as a capacity to face, overcome and be strengthened by adversity. Instead of shielding children from adversity, there are some key characteristics we can try to promote in our children to encourage resilience. These are:
- having a charismatic adult in their life from which they can draw strength. This may be a parent or could be another adult (friend or family member) who is a positive role model for them.
- developing social and emotional competencies such as how to solve problems, manage anger etc usually by modelling such behaviour yourself.
- teaching positive self talk for improved confidence and self-esteem.
- islands of competence - find something that interests them, where they get positive recognition from their peers. In other words help them to find their spark, whether it be an interest in art, music, dance, drama, sport etc.
- spirituality - children that are bound to a belief system feel a sense of connectedness and part of something bigger than themselves.
You can read more about how he suggests we achieve these things in this article. The point about spirituality is a fascinating one and when he speaks he always hastens to add that he does not mean specifically a religious spirituality but instead a young person's belief that they belong to something bigger themselves, with shared beliefs. He often goes on to give examples of Youth Groups, Scouts, Guides, well-governed sporting clubs and other interest groups.
MS Readathon
A big thank you to Mrs Natasha Weekes and Ms Carmel D'Amico who have organised our school to take part in the 2021 MS Readathon. We have been incredibly proud to see so many of our children take on the challenge of the Readathon this year. It is the first year our school has joined the Readathon and already we see a great example of (as described above) students developing the understanding that they are a part of something bigger than themselves. By raising even $1 towards this wonderful cause, our students can feel like part of the solution.
The MS Readathon inspires kids to read as much as they can, all for one incredible cause. The rules are simple. Read whatever you like, as much as you can, throughout the month of August...Best of all, by joining the quest, not only will you awaken a love of reading, you will also be helping kids who have a parent with multiple sclerosis. (Taken from www.msreadathon.org.au)
In just a few short days participating Kalinda students have raised a staggering $4921!
This week I asked some students to share their reading progress, thank you to these super readers who shared their favourite books!
If your child would like to join our MS Readathon Team, it's not too late. Head to
https://www.msreadathon.org.au/join/kalindaprimary to join.
Parenting Seminars
Cybersafe parenting.
What: Taming the technology: Parenting in the cyber age
Suitable for: Parents and carers (Primary school aged)
Date: Thursday, 26 August 2021
Time: 7pm to 8.30pm
Cost: Free
Where: Online webinar (This webinar will be recorded and available for a limited time to those who register for the event). Certificates of attendance will be available on request.
Book online here: www.trybooking.com/BRJIU
Further parenting information sessions will be announced soon and updated on Council’s website here: www.maroondah.vic.gov.au/ParentInformationSessions
Parenting Anxious Children
We are kind. We are resilient. We are respectful.