Welcome back from a lovely long weekend to celebrate the King’s birthday – we hope that you are all feeling refreshed and ready to finish off the last two weeks of term. As we count down to the mid year holidays, we know that some students will be facing their first ever journey into exam period and others will be completing important assessments and tasks. This can be an anxious time for some of our students and they can start to feel overwhelmed by the tasks in front of them. We often talk to students about digging deep and finding the grit to keep going. This newsletter and following additions will focus on some key elements of finding your own grit and determination, to get through different life’s challenges.
Grit and Determination
The word ‘grit’ is often used to describe resilience, perseverance and determination. When talking about grit, it can be broken down into four key elements that teach our students the most important life skills. These skills can be built on at any time and with any new life experience can adapt and change accordingly.
The four elements are:
Getting Along
Resilient Thinking
Identifying Emotions
Taking Responsibility
Grit teaches us to manage our emotions, be optimistic and persistent, enjoy healthy and positive relationships and develop a growth mindset. When we tackle challenges with grit and determination, we can soar to our true potential.
Getting Along
This element involves students learning the skills to get along with other people and better understand relationships. By building positive relationships with others, students will be happier and more fulfilled and feel more supported and connected.
Key elements of learning how to get along with other people is the ability to establish and build positive relationships, maintain these friendships, work collaboratively, be assertive and importantly have the ability to negotiate and resolve conflict.
Resilient Thinking
This element involves students learning the skills to persevere in the face of setbacks and frustrations, to be grittier, more positive and optimistic. Students that can have resilient thinking skills will be able to reduce stress, anxiety and negative thinking. Allowing students to identify and be aware of their internal dialogue and their thinking patterns fosters resilience, by helping them to better manage life’s inevitable disappointments.
Once again there are many key elements to resilient thinking. When things get frustrating, it is good to be able to persevere and try and bounce back from the adversities, build on the thinking skills that get you through and change the negative thoughts into more positive thoughts.
Identifying Emotions
This element involves students developing awareness of their own emotions and others. Self-awareness, the cornerstone of emotional intelligence, is the ability to recognise emotions and their impact on both yourself and others. Empathy builds on self-awareness and is a fundamental skill essential to successful relationships and interactions. Key elements in this area is having the ability to recognise different emotions and regulate and manage the response that they will each give us. This ties in with how we manage and negotiate stress and anger; both strong emotions to have. Students need to recognise their own personal qualities and achievements and have the ability to understand others emotional states and needs (empathy).
Taking Responsibility
This element involves students to take responsibility for their learning by developing a mindset of growth, persistence and optimism. Changing the way we think and perceive our own abilities and potential can drastically improve performance. Too often, we live in the now rather than the yet and as a result we can focus on our limitations, rather than our potential.
Developing a growth mindset and making positive and responsible decisions is key. Students who can set realistic goals and have the ability to work on self discipline will have the ability.
What does a student with GRIT look like?
• students with GRIT have a positive attitude and a growth mindset. They believe they can do anything they set their minds to
• students with GRIT never give up. They believe that challenges will make them smarter and they believe that mistakes are proof that they are trying
• students with GRIT are persistent and resilient. They dream big and work hard towards making those dreams come true
• students with GRIT know that they are the boss of their thoughts and their feelings. They manage their anger, frustrations and worries and bounce back from difficulties
• students with GRIT catch negative ‘I Can’t’ thoughts, that stop them from enjoying their day and change them into positive ‘I Can’ thoughts
• students with GRIT maintain friendships by sharing, taking turns, and being honest and trustworthy; they don’t play to win the game but to win friendships
• finally, students with GRIT know how to stand up for themselves and are confident, courageous and brave
Out and About
Last week Mel White our School Health Promotion Nurse, had the opportunity to step into the SALT Program and teach them some basic First Aid – the first session to both groups was great with full participation by every student in performing CPR for two minutes and learning the DRSABCD. They should be well equipped to know how to call for help and what might be asked of them should they experience this. Next session they will learn how to bandage different ways and also other first aid measures.
As always stay kind and reach out if you need too.
Tegan, Mel, Taryn and Nicole
Wellbeing Team