Wellbeing & the Return to School
As we return from lockdown and remote learning it’s important to be kind to yourself - your wellbeing and that of your whānau is important as everyone adapts to this new situation. Young people might have mixed feelings about returning to school. For example, they might be excited to see their teachers and friends and get back to learning in the classroom. They might also feel uncertain, worried or anxious about falling behind in their learning, fitting back into friendship groups and coping with a school routine. Our teachers have spent this week supporting students to reconnect with each other through lots of fun, engaging activities, while also focusing on keeping students safe through our Covid-19 Protocols. We will continue to support the wellbeing of our students to ensure they have a positive time reconnecting with their peers and reengaging with learning.
To support the wellbeing of our students and community, we have put together some resources on our school website, which can be found here. We hope you find these resources helpful in providing information, understanding and positive coping strategies.
If your child is feeling some big emotions during this time, some strategies to support them are:
- Show them lots of love and support
- Talk and listen to your child’s feelings about returning to school, and let them know that their feelings are okay
- Let your child know it’s okay to feel nervous or uncertain about returning to school, but reassure them that they’ll get through it. For example, ‘It’s okay to feel unsettled – it’s another big change’, ‘A lot of kids will be feeling the same as you’
- Help your child reconnect with their classmates
- Give your child some control. For example, ask what they want for school lunch or what they want to do after school
- Do some breathing exercises, such as these ones in te reo Māori or these ideas in English
Signs that children are struggling include changes in your child’s behaviour and emotions, like:
- sleeping more
- eating less
- seeming less interested in doing things
- withdrawing from you
- not actively participating in conversations
- being more clingy, grumpy or angry than usual
- refusing to go to school.
If you notice these signs or you just feel worried about how your child is coping, it’s important to get help as soon as possible. You are welcome to reach out to your child’s teacher to talk with them, our Deputy Principal Mary Pretorius is available at mary@pasadena.school.nz and we also have our school counsellor, Rebecca who is available to help students and whānau via Google Meets or in person at school and can be contacted on wellbeing@pasadena.school.nz. Rebecca is also able to speak with parents and whānau about ways they can support their child.
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