What a fantastic week we have had with the launch of The Resilience Project. A special thank you to the many parents who attended the parent session last night that Hugh (the Project founder) led. In listening to his presentations this week, I couldn’t help but think how lucky we are to be one of the four schools to be involved. Teaching strategies for mental wellness is as important as teaching knowledge, if not more important, as the statistics on mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, are shocking. We owe it to our students to give them strategies to build resilience, not just for the years they are at school, but for life beyond. They will have trauma at some level at some stage in their lives, we all will, and what this programme does is create habits that will help them to bounce back faster.

The key messages are around GEM (Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness) and connection, and we need to practice these every day. At school, we will be focussing on being grateful for what we have, being kind, and being present, and I urge you to reinforce this at home. The basic question to ask them every day is, “What three things went well for you today?” If we focus on what we have, what we are grateful for, rather than what we don’t have, we are practising gratitude. The students were given the ‘dis’ challenge, and that is to stop and point to something they are grateful for and say the word ‘dis’. They were also challenged to be kind, as acts of kindness build empathy. For those who missed the parent session, there is information on the website https://theresilienceproject.com.au/

You will have read the information we sent out on Wednesday about the second confirmed case of Coronavirus having children at both the Westlake Boys and Girls Schools. While we are closely monitoring the evolving situation, this family does not have children at our school. The Ministry’s advice is to be alert, not alarmed, and follow advice about taking all relevant precautions and to carry on calmly. The relevant precautions are washing hands with soap and water, use hand sanitizer, and avoid touching your face with your hands. They also recommend that children should be at school where they are not directly affected. The latest fact sheet can be accessed here. We know many of you are concerned, and we are hearing of the increasing anxiety around this in our children’s conversations. Michelle Dickinson, aka Nanogirl, has a short video (just over 3 minutes) that I recommend you watch with your children. In it she clarifies what Coronavirus is, and how it is passed on. The link is https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/nanogirls-tips-talking-kids-coronavirus-without-making-them-worried

Our school fair is only a week away and this is a great community event where we can all come together and have a fabulous day. There is so much arranged for the day, from things to buy, to activities, to fun events. The organising team has put hours and hours of time in to making this a great day for our school, and it is now up to us all to bring in the items they are asking for, and to attend on the day. Bring friends, relatives and neighbours, in fact anyone and everyone you know! The more the merrier! And don’t forget your wallets. While there will be limited Eftpos facilities available on the day, cash is best. Please read the letter which has been emailed home and will also come home in hard copy today, and note the items to bring in next week. All items go straight to Room 18. Please support this fair as a community event, and also to enable us to purchase more sunshades for around the school.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Ngā mihi nui

Sue Cattell

Principal