APA News

Dear Families, 

This Friday communities across Qld will celebrate World Teacher’s Day.  There are not many professions that have an impact on individuals and the community like teachers do.  With that privilege comes great responsibility! We are blessed at St Saviour’s to have a committed and compassionate group of teachers who consistently strive to be a positive influence in the lives of children. As teachers within the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Diocese we value human dignity, unlimited potential, and fullness of life and strive to offer an education that brings these values to life.  This year’s theme is Hats off to teachers. On Friday we will be raising a hat to our teachers and showing gratitude for all that they do for the children in our school.

As the weather heats up and the busyness of the year catches up with everyone, children (and often adults!) can become overwhelmed with their emotions as their resilience levels are down.  Building resilience in children to be able to cope when they are tired, when things are challenging, when they are easily frustrated or when their friends don’t act the way they would like them to is not always easy.  However, it is our job as adults to help children build resilience around how to deal with situations such as these.  Sometimes a ‘break’ is an appropriate strategy to rest and recoup, however it is not the only strategy children need to have in their backpack.  Some strategies that teachers use to build stamina and resilience include the skills of mindful breathing, taking a movement break, using positive self-talk, looking for positives, and creating things to look forward to when challenging work is completed. At this time of year a whole lot of patience is thrown in as well, mindful that young children are still learning how to navigate and manage their emotions, behaviour and attitude as they build their resilience.  Maintaining a predictable routine at home during this time that prioritises consistent sleep, plenty of downtime and quality time with loved ones is an important way for parents to support students.  This also sounds like a great plan for adults too!  

Mrs Katie Hauser