Counsellor’s Message

Dear Parents and Students,

Hope you are all well and adjusting to the rapid change of cooler weather. It’s lovely though, to take a mindful moment and notice the beautiful changes happening around us, such as the colours of the trees, the greener grass and a crisp chill to the air on our faces as we feel the warmth of more layered clothing on our bodies.

Mindfulness is a very powerful tool when practised regularly. By just taking a mindful moment throughout the day can have positive effects on our mental health and wellbeing. It can lower stress levels, anxiety and overwhelm, as we become more grounded and regain focus on our daily tasks. In the near future, we will be introducing a mindfulness resource for all students and classes. This is called ‘Smiling Minds’ and it will be teaching our students how to quieten their busy minds.They will gain a better understanding of how it will benefit them both personally and academically. All staff are very excited to be introducing this new program and I look forward to sharing with you feedback on how it is progressing.

Within my counselling sessions so far this year, I have been focusing on students’ self-esteem and self-worth by supporting them to identify their strengths and how they use them through their day in any given situation. Also, the value of their strengths and how these strengths create a picture of the amazing person they are. By building a child's self-esteem and strengthening how they feel about themselves, this helps them navigate through life's challenges more effectively and increases resilience. Having a strong self-esteem is a very important personal attribute when it comes to reacting to bullying. Statistics show that if a child or adult has a strong self-esteem and believes in themselves, they are much less likely to be a victim of bullying and they’ll react in a way that minimises the likeliness of being targeted by bullies.

Watching the students I work with grow in confidence, enjoying their school experiences and having pride in their achievements is very rewarding, and I look forward to seeing their smiling faces each session and in the school yard.

Stay happy, healthy and warm throughout this term.

Kind Regards,