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Principal's Blog: Term 1 Week 9
Friday, 24 March 2023
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Kia ora whānau This week we were privileged to host Jake Bailey, and to hear from him regarding what he had learned, and continues to learn, about overcoming adversity and building resilience. A skilled orator, Jake presented sessions for senior students, staff and the wider community, with each presentation reaching its audience in a targeted and impactful way. Although the talks were pitched differently, the messaging was as consistent as it was compelling. Jake believes that resilience cannot be taught. It is only by navigating difficulties and overcoming obstacles that resilience can be built. He also reminded us that there is no avoiding being faced with the bad; circumstances outside of one's control that impact negatively. Jake talked about bad things happening being a normal part of life, and that we can best help young people by supporting them through hard or disappointing circumstances and in encouraging and equipping them to fight their own battles. We have now completed eight weeks of Term 1. Eight weeks of school life where we have operated at full pace for what seems like the first year in a long time, jammed-packed with wonderful stuff; schoolwork, athletics and swimming carnivals, field trips, camps, production, choir, and sports whilst balancing family commitments, part-time jobs…and the list goes on. It is little wonder that the effects are beginning to be felt and manifested in a variety of ways. Added to that are the inevitable joys and disappointments associated with the naming of winter sports teams currently. Jake Bailey could not have written the script better when speaking of helping our young people cope with the fact that sometimes you make the team you want, and sometimes you don't. Fact. It is how a young person is supported in coping with their emotional responses to such situations that will either assist them in growing resilience, or not. Successfully equipping young people to accept that things will not always go their way, and to place that disappointment into perspective in aiding them to cope, will successfully prepare them for the inevitable challenges that we all face in life. Additionally, it might be time in the term to take stock. If a young person has an incredibly full and busy schedule, it might pay to support them in slowing things down a little. What are the things that could be paused for a while? What part of that hectic busyness could better be replaced with some downtime? Analysing 'stressful' by breaking things down into smaller chunks and then making decisions around prioritising and deciding what requires effort and attention, and what does not, will help a young person cope and further grow in their ability to become more resilient. As we head into Summer Tournament Week with students travelling all over the North Island to participate in a variety of codes, a sharp reminder of 'the most important thing' resonated in the article just published by College Sport Wellington, highlighting the success of our champion Futsal team who are winners in every sense of the word. Yes, we are super-proud of their regional award-winning prowess, but even more proud and humbled by the culture they have created. This group of self-coached peers leading peers have built a culture whereby they realise individual and collective strengths, are incredibly supportive and encouraging of one another, are self-motivated and committed, and are having the time of their lives. Winning titles, it seems, is a by-product of all that we know is good and great about young people engaged in doing the thing that makes their hearts sing. Ka rawe, what a shining example! Have a wonderful weekend. Ngā mihi nui Paula Wells |