We began the evening listening to Hugh van Cuylenburg, the founder of the Resilience Project, introducing the GEM model and talking about some of the statistics. Watch Hugh explain all of this and more in the following introduction video on this link.

Our Statistics

The statistics that Hugh shares in the video are Australian and we don’t have an exact NZ match for them - however our Year 4-8 students completed the Youth Resilience Survey at the end of last term - and we are able to share these results with you - with a comparison to the NZ averages (numbers in red).

Specifically, the survey measures the resilience and wellbeing of our young people (Year 4-8) across 9 key domains: Understanding Self, Social Skills, Positive Relationships, Safety, Healthy Body and Healthy Mind, Learning, Positive Attitude, Positive Values, Positive Identity.

This survey is anonymous - we are not able to identify any student and their measures but, even with a margin or error, it does give us a picture of our akōnga, our learners.

In today's world, we are all facing a multitude of challenges that can have a significant impact on our well-being and development. This data shows that our children are not exempt from this.

Building resilience in children is essential to help them overcome these challenges and develop the skills they need to thrive in life.

The Resilience Project and our RE Curriculum

This is a resilience programme that aligns totally with our Faith - not an add on but a programme that we can use that enhances our RE Curriculum and aligns with our values Compassion, Service, Respect and Integrity.

Gratitude is paying attention to what you have – as opposed to focusing on the lack of something. It’s about being thankful for the little things in life and acknowledging what went well for you.

Research shows that practicing gratitude rewires our brains to overcome the negativity bias (which can lead to anxiety and depression) and see the world for what we are thankful for. It is also shown to broaden thinking, and increase physical health through improved sleep and attitude to exercise.

Empathy is our ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others to feel and see what they do. We practice this through being kind and compassionate towards other people.

Research shows that practicing empathy, such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community-based.

Mindfulness is our ability to be present at any given moment. We practise this by using intentional awareness and concentrating on what you are doing when you are doing it.

Thousands of studies into Mindfulness indicate that with regular practice, Mindfulness can lead to benefits such as; reduced stress, reduced rumination, increased memory, increased cognitive function and physical health benefits through improved immunity.

Of interest - as I was looking for a quote for this slide I found a blog post - 63 quotes that show that mindfulness was God’s idea first!

Summary

Our faith can be a powerful tool in building resilience. Research has shown that resilient children are better able to handle stress, perform well at school, and have healthier relationships with others.

This is important work - and you can support this work from home! Participation in the programme this year gives all our whānau access to the Parent and Carer Hub where you can access so many resources to use at home. You can access 6 videos from Hugh that outlines the programme and also talk about wach part of the GEM model in detail.

Parent and Carer Hub

There is also a link to TRP@home

It is hard to know what resources to highlight for you as there are so many. If you looking for something particular that you can't find - please comae in and see us and we cna help you with this.

Going forward we will be adding TRP snippets to every newsletter and links to helpful resources for you.

Pānui #7 Friday 19 May 2023

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