In the longest longitudinal study ever conducted on emotional wellbeing, over 75 years, Harvard University researchers established that the nature and quality of our relationships have a powerful influence on our health and wellbeing.
In the Junior School we have implemented a Wellbeing Program for K-6 this year. It has been designed to complement existing pastoral care programs taught by class teachers and health lessons within the PDHPE curriculum. The program provides a smooth transition to the Senior School Wellbeing Program which has been in place for a number of years.
Each student participates in a weekly 30-minute wellbeing lesson delivered by her teacher. The lessons have been designed to address the social and emotional needs of the girls as they mature. Key components of the lessons are evidence-based programs addressing topics such as managing emotions, gratitude, kindness, mindfulness, courage, resilience, understanding others and our Girl Power program.
In Term 1 this year, Kindergarten girls learnt about making friends and developing independence. Years 1, 2 and 4 looked at respect, kindness, courage and resilience, while Year 3 focused on organisation skills and preparation for camp. Our upper primary girls discussed time management and the concept of service.
Positive relationships and friendships are a particularly important topic because of their impact on a child's sense of wellbeing. Throughout the school we use consistent language from Girl Power to foster and develop friendships. Parents can help their daughters understand and manage their relationships by reminding them of some of the key principles of the program: that no friendship is perfect; every friendship is different; trust and respect are vital in friendships; and friendships always change over time.
Within the framework of the Girl Power program, Junior School girls learn to identify ‘friendship fires’ (conflict between friends that results in negative feelings) and how to work through the issue. The aim is to let the girls deal with a friendship fire on their own so they can 'talk it out' and move on to forgive and forget. The girls also learn to distinguish an argument with a friend (‘friendship fire’) from bullying (‘mean on purpose’), and to adopt different strategies for each situation. They are encouraged to find time to talk, retell the situation, explain how it made them feel and to see the situation from more than one perspective.
Research suggests that if schools and parents work together to equip children with the confidence to try to put these fires out independently, their wellbeing and self-esteem is boosted dramatically. Parents can reinforce the necessary skills at home by modelling them themselves, having good conversations and creating the right conditions for girls to manage their emotions. The best way to do this is by:
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Ensuring your daughter has a balanced schedule Being overtired, lacking energy, overly emotional are symptomatic of a child being overloaded.
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Enjoy the moment Mindfulness encourages us to use our senses, to be in the moment and notice the small things.
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Celebrating successes along the way The learning journey is about building upon existing knowledge. There should be lots of little successes that are arguably more important than the end result.
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Fostering and promoting independence It is important to provide opportunities for your daughter to practise the skills involved in organisation and decision-making and to experience both positive and negative consequences.
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Modelling the values we aspire to: Truth, Courage and Service Showing respect and consideration for our belongings, our School, our environment, our families and others.
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End the day on a positive note We all know how exhausted one can feel at the end of the day, often with our fuel and emotional levels low. This is a vulnerable time, so asking the right questions can have a significant impact on the type of response. Avoid specific questions likely to elicit a negative response, such as ‘Did XX talk to you today?’ or ‘Who did you play with at lunch?’ Instead, ask positive questions such as: ‘What went well?’ ‘What was the best part of your day?’ ‘Tell me two good things that happened today.’
We know that student wellbeing is strongly linked to learning. Indicators of wellbeing are satisfaction with life at school, engagement with learning and positive social-emotional behaviour. Through the implementation of the new Junior School wellbeing program, and with support from home, we aim to help students to become happy, resilient and confident.
Miss Lara Liberman, Miss Maddy Young and Mrs Eleanor Collins
Junior School Wellbeing