Being a student leader is always exciting! At Milford, we have many opportunities for our ākonga to show their leadership from classroom roles of service, operating the AV equipment in the hall, Kaiārahi, kapa haka, the enviro club and leading music and dance action groups and sports teams.

Student leadership is often seen as a mark of achievement reserved for those with specific talents. However, the true value of student leadership lies far beyond titles and accolades. It's a transformative experience that equips students with essential skills for success in all aspects of life.

Developing essential skills: Leadership roles of all kinds provide a practical training ground for honing crucial skills like communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and decision-making. Students learn to motivate and inspire others, manage effectively, and navigate diverse perspectives. These skills are highly sought after in future academic endeavours and professional careers.

In Year 6, being a Kaiārahi is one of them. It is always a hard decision to make when selecting the Kaiarahi, so we ensure the process is robust. A shortlisting process is undertaken by the Year 6 teachers and the Senior Leadership team, and from here, the rest of the staff can vote on who they believe would best represent MIiford school. We are excited to work with this group this year and congratulate them!

On the flip side, with nearly 60 applicants, we know there will be some very disappointed learners. One of the tricky parts of growing up is learning to manage disappointment, and as a school, we do our best to help facilitate this.

Helping your child manage disappointment is essential to raising resilient and emotionally intelligent individuals, and supporting your child is important. Below are some helpful hints and tips.

Validate their feelings: Acknowledge their sadness, frustration, or anger. Don't try to minimize their feelings by saying things like "It's not a big deal".

Listen and offer empathy: Let them express their emotions freely without judgment. Use phrases like "I understand you're feeling disappointed" or "That would be hard to deal with."

Offer comfort and support: Provide physical comfort like a hug or a cuddle. Let them know you're there for them, and you care about their feelings.

Help them name the emotion: Putting a label on the emotion helps children understand what they're feeling and can be calming. Phrases like "You're feeling sad you didn't get the toy" or "It's okay to feel frustrated" can be helpful.

Teach coping strategies: Help children develop healthy coping mechanisms like taking deep breaths, drawing their feelings, or engaging in calming activities like reading a book or playing outside.

Avoid fixing the situation: While it's tempting to try to "fix" things for your child, it's important for them to learn how to manage disappointment. Let them know you understand, but also explain limitations if applicable.

Provide perspective: Depending on the situation, you can offer perspective in an age-appropriate way. For example, you could say, "There are many other fun things we can do today," or "Many people experience disappointment sometimes, but we can learn from it and move on."

Focus on the positive: Remind them of past challenges they've overcome and their strengths. Help them focus on the good things in their life.

Remember, managing disappointment is a journey, not a destination. You can help your child develop the skills they need to navigate life's inevitable setbacks by offering support, guidance, and understanding.