On Sunday 4 August, FOSB are planning an obstacle and mud run to raise community spirit and have a whole lot of fun.

The obstacle and mud run will be promoted to pre-schoolers, primary and intermediate aged children across the Peninsula and will be part of a series of school mud runs with two other Auckland schools. 

The course will start at school then go down to Ngataringa Sports Field where participants will complete a range of mucky and challenging obstacles before heading back up to SBS and finish up in a giant mud pit. We are very fortunate to have the support of the Navy to make this event possible but we do require some extra help to pull  off this grand event. We are looking for the following A Gold Sponsor for the event Obstacle sponsors - $500 per obstacle Contacts/sponsorship for banners and signage Event speakers/ PA system A team to organise food on the day Race marshalls Contact Kelly Seaburg on FOSB@stanleybay.school.nz to offer your help or to discuss particulars about event and obstacle sponsorship. Watch this space for more details of what will be a spectacular event!

Our Values....Resilience.

Each term we focus on a different school value, in term 2 we will be learning how to be resilient. Being resilient can help children to learn how to manage stress. We may not be able to remove all their challenges but together we can help them build resilience. 

Resilience is the mind set which allows students to bounce back and recover but more importantly to have learned from the challenge. If students are resilient they truly believe that they can try again and get better or overcome difficult experiences and be shaped positively by them.

According to research there are some simple strategies that can be used to develop resilience;

Have one on one time with each child, without distraction 

Resilience comes from relationships; children need nurturing. It’s not a magical inner strength that helps kids through tough times; it’s the reliable presence of one, supportive relationship, be it parent, teacher, relative or family friend.  Ten minutes of fully focused attention is better than an hour when your mind is on other things. Make bath time, car journeys, meals, queues count. Chat, listen, talk about your feelings and encourage them to express theirs. Once these one-to-ones become regular, your children will know they always have a safe space to open up.

Give sleep a chance.

Lack of good-quality sleep is a huge driver for stress: it has a negative effect on memory, concentration, cognitive function, and decision-making. One of the fastest ways to improve sleep is to limit screen time before bed. Maybe turn off the WiFi,  insist everyone uses night-time mode on their devices or switch your children’s night lights to red ones as red has the least impact on melatonin production.

Get out and exercise.

As well as keeping them physically fit, exercise will increase children’s resilience. It actually strengthens the brain. Regular physical activity teaches our stress-response system to recover more efficiently. So put on the radio and dance around the kitchen, join your kids doing star jumps or bear crawls, walk the dog together or go for a family bicycle ride.

Teach delayed gratification.

Resilience means understanding you can’t always have what you want as soon as you want it. It’s an important concept to pass on in the age of Spotify, Netflix and Uber. Psychology teaches us that people who can accept delayed gratification lead happier, healthier lives. Without the ability to defer pleasure and reward, our kids are losing an important skill for their well being. One of the best ways to teach it? Playing board games. These require impulse control, turn-taking, and mental flexibility. They exercise the prefrontal cortex, the rational part of the brain involved in decision making, emotional regulation and, yes, resilience. Board games are also a good way for you to model resilience by being a good loser! You could also encourage your child to listen to whole albums instead of skipping from track to track or watching a TV series together week by week, instead of bingeing in a couple of sittings.

Model gratitude

Instead of pestering your children with questions such as, “How was school?” and, “What did you do today?”, teach them to re frame their day. Try these three questions instead - What did someone do today to make you happy? What did you do to make someone else happy? What have you learned today? These questions will find the positive in every day and teach gratitude, nurture optimism, and recognise kindness.

I hope you find these tips helpful and in conjunction with the learning at school we can work together on developing even more resilient learners who are ready to take risks and persevere when the going gets tough!

Teacher Only Day

On 31 May the school will be closed to enable teachers to attend the Kahui Ako Conference. The conference is held at Takapuna Grammar and attended by all teachers on the peninsula. It will be a fantastic day of learning and sharing of best practice amongst local schools.

Kelly Club will be operating, please Click here if you wish to make a booking.