Please read below from our counselling team. A reminder also that normal timetabled classes start tomorrow beginning with mentoring. Students to check Teams pages for timings.

Dear Parents and Caregivers 

As we move into a longer period of lockdown it is normal to be experiencing a range of thoughts and emotions. Everybody will have a different experience and whatever you are feeling right now is okay.

You will begin to get information about work and expectations from your different teachers and to start with you might feel overwhelmed. If this happens, try to take a breather then look at everything you have to complete over the next week. By breaking it down into smaller blocks you should discover that it is not as bad as you thought. Work out how much you can do in a day and when in the day works best for you. Cross off what you get done so you can see where your time and efforts have gone.

Other helpful things to try when we are overwhelmed are:

• Talk to someone like a friend, teacher, parent, counsellor, cat, or dog.
  
• Go outside and get some fresh air and some exercise - a short walk is great.
• Get some Vitamin D from the sun. Make sure your arms or legs are bare and get 15 to 30 minutes each day. This helps with mood and immunity.
• Don’t avoid reading emails and contact from school as this will make it worse and seem like a bigger task than it is.
• Be kind to yourself - if you are having a “bad” day then leave the work alone knowing that you will feel better later or tomorrow.

Your teachers are aware that for many of you, the time spent on schoolwork will not be the 6 hours that you are normally at school. Let them know if you are struggling or stuck with things. Try to make it to your Mentor group check-ins.

Some of you will have families that are dealing with more than a lockdown and often adults are stressed in these situations. You might try to talk with you caregiver and let them know what you are planning to do with your schoolwork over the next few days. When they see that you are taking responsibility for your learning, they may be able to leave you alone a bit more and make for a more pleasant time for you all.

Brian Knopp and Maryanne Skidmore are available via email and Teams chat if you need some extra help. They will set up a time to talk with you once you contact them.

If you need someone else to talk to out of daytime hours, then these numbers are free and available at all times:

- Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 support from trained counsellor, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

- Youthline 0800 376 633 or free text 234

- What's Up 0800 WHATSUP (0800) 942 8787 (5-18 year olds). Phone counselling Monday to

Friday, midday-11pm and weekends, 3pm-11pm.

- thelowdown.co.nz –or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626

“Focus on the step in front of you, not the whole staircase”