This is one of the most inspirational acts of sportsmanship I’ve seen in recent times. We spoke as a school about that we have the power to build each other up and also tear each other down. We too can be like Alistair and speak life into others. I encourage families to take the time to watch the clip as it demonstrates what we are striving to build in our students here at St Paul’s.

Click the link below to watch the clip, or search Brownlee Brothers Mexico

Parent Feedback Group

Thank you to our parents who attended our Week 9 PFG. We worked through our new student reporting proforma and discussed our student leaner profile. These sessions are invaluable as we develop new processes at St Paul’s and partner with our families to do all we can to inspire and support your children. Our next session is Tuesday 10 May, 2:45pm in Week 3. We hope to see you there!

Managing Overwhelm

Willingly or not, we have all been exposed to a piece of bad news that has lingered in our thoughts for days afterwards. This seems to be more common in the current environment than ever before. Due to the pandemic, the world we now live in is a very different place, so it is easy to see why we might feel impacted. It can often seem like there are many stressful events occurring simultaneously, and the hyperconnected nature of our environment means we are constantly being reminded of the challenges we face via numerous media and social media channels. Our connectivity to the digital world exposes us to a barrage of messages that can often leave us feeling overwhelmed.

It is therefore important for children and parents alike, to consciously and intentionally learn good wellbeing strategies. Unfortunately, our brains have not evolved fast enough to adapt to the digital landscape we find ourselves in and this often leaves us feeling overwhelmed and can result in increased levels of stress and anxiety. If left untreated or unmanaged, constant stress and anxiety can lead to a number of behavioural issues or health consequences.

The blueprint for parenting, based on our own experiences, is no longer fit for purpose in raising kids as citizens of tomorrow. The combination of constant access to information and having little control over the situations presented, can be stressful and overwhelming. Although we can’t provide our kids with certainty, we can provide them with the skills and strategies to cope to enable them to flourish and thrive, socially, emotionally and academically. It may not necessarily be the information itself that is harmful, but more their inability to process and make sense of it.

The below link to Dr Emma Woodward, unpacks some of the current pressures in our world and she discusses proactive and practical strategies to positively flourish in challenging times.

The Power of Our Words

This week at our Chapel I played a clip of the Brownlee brothers. Alistair and Johnathan Brownlee are triathletes from Great Britain.

Towards the end of the race, Johnny’s body began to fail. Alistair was about to pass his younger brother, yet he wrapped his arms under Johnny’s and carried him to the finish line. Sacrificing his own chance of a win, Alistair placed another's needs before his own.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Yours in Christian Service, 

Brad Moss