I hope families were able to take some time away from the routine of remote learning last Friday and were able to spend time as a family to focus on their minds, bodies and spirits.  As we head into the last week of term three it is important to reflect and celebrate the mammoth amount of work, our devoted parents and staff have done to support our students over this term.

It is equally important that as adults we create regular opportunities for self-care, so that we can continue to support the students and look after our own wellbeing at the same time. As we continue to travel through the changes and uncertainty that we have experienced recently and into term four. I have included some links at the bottom of this article for some new digital care packs for Kids, Parents and Carers produced by Smiling Minds.These new packs have been designed to teach the students to observe their thoughts and emotions more objectively, to allow them to access a calmer and more mindful place as they move through life’s ups and downs.    Over the break it might be a good opportunity to explore some of the activities to help develop some strategies, as we prepare for the new changes ahead as we navigate the return to school onsite. The following extract has been taken from the Smiling Minds 8-10yr olds Care Package “Recognising and Managing Our Emotions”

“We each experience a whole range of emotions every day; some are pleasant and some are not so pleasant. Most of us spend a great deal of time caught up in our emotions, particularly difficult ones. When this happens, our behaviour is on autopilot and we can feel stressed and overwhelmed. We may miss important information and find it hard to see situations clearly. When we practise mindfulness, we tune into our bodies and become aware of how we are feeling and how those feelings are impacting us. We also learn that emotions come and go and will not last forever. This assists us to feel less overwhelmed in the present moment and role model effective ways to manage emotions as they arise.” 

Wishing you all a very restful and well earned break from remote learning over the next few weeks.

Take care,

Maree     

Self Care for Teachers and Parents: Smiling Minds    

5-7 yr old Smiling Mind Kids Care package

8-10 yr old Smiling Minds Kids Care Pack

11-12 yr old Smiling Mind Kids Care Pack