DevelopingResilienceThereisnobettertimetotalkaboutresiliencethaninthecurrentCOVID-19pandemicthatweareallfacing.Theeverincreasingrestrictions,theneedtogobacktoremotelearningandtheuncertaintyofthefutureallrequireagility,flexibility,adaptabilityandaboveall,resilience.Resilienceisafamiliarwordandhasbeenaroundforsometimenow.Itistheabilitytocopewithlife’supsanddowns,setbacksandchallengesandbeingabletoemotionallybouncebackfromthesewithyourwellbeingfairlyintact.Clinicalpsychologist,AndrewFullersaysthat“resilienceistheartofbungyjumpingthroughlifeasifyouhaveanelasticisedropearoundyourankleswhichhelpsyoubouncebackfromhardtimes”. Resilienceisessentialtomentalhealth,andchildrenwhohaveresilienceareabletomanagestress,setbacksanddifficulteventsmorereadily.Researchsuggeststhatthosewhoareresilienthavealowerincidenceofmentalhealthdifficultieslaterinlifeandhavemoresatisfyinglivesandgreateremotionalwellbeing.AHarvardUniversityreportrecentlypublishedbytheAllianceofGirl’sSchoolsAustralasialookedatresilienceinadolescentsandaskedwhysomechildrenareresilientwhilstothersarenot.Theresearchidentifiedfourfactorsthatpredisposesomechildrentobeabletoberesilientinthefaceofadversity:

• Havingatleastonestableandsupportivechild-adultrelationship(“Ifeelconnected”)• Feelingtheyhaveasenseofselfcontrolandself-beliefoverlifecircumstances(“Icanovercome

hardships”)• Possessingemotionalself-regulationwhichenablesthemtoadaptandcopewithdifficult

circumstancesandmanagetheirbehaviourandemotions(“IcancontrolhowIfeel”)• Thesupportoffaith,hopeorculturaltraditionsthatgroundthemwhentheyarefacedby

stressorsordifficulties(“IhaveconfidencethatIcanovercomethis”)Themainsignificantfactor,accordingtothisreport,ishavingastablesupportiverelationshipwithacaregiver,parentorotheradultsuchasateacher.Whenchildrenaresurroundedbycaringadultsthatprovidethemwithcopingskillstodealwithdifficulties,theythrive.Asparents,caregiversandschoolsweallhaveanimportantparttoplayinbuildingchildren’sresilienceandequippingthemwiththenecessaryandessentialskills,whichwillpreparethemforlife’schallenges.Howparentscanhelptobuildresilience

• Helpchildrentoacceptthatlifecanbedifficult,sadanddisappointingattimes.Don’toverprotectthemfromfrustrationsandallowthemtosometimessitwithdistressand

uncomfortablefeelings.Letthemknowthatyoucareandaretheretooffersupport,butatthesametimereinforcethatyoutrustthattheycanmanagethesituation.

• Iftheyfeelbad,remindthemthatdifficultfeelingsaretransientandtemporary.Encourage

themtothinkofemotionslikewethinkabouttheweather:changeable,transientandattimesuncontrollable.Thishelpsthemdealwithdifficultandemotionaltimes.

• Modeloptimisticthinkingandresilienceyourself.Acknowledgethatyoufeeloverwhelmed,afraid,anxious,sadandangryattimesandthatthisrangeofemotionsisnormal.

• Helpthemdevelopahabitofpersistencewhenthegoinggetstoughordifficult,orwhenthey

arefacedwithobstacles.Talkingtoyourchildabouttimeswhenyoupersistedeventhoughyoufeltlikegivingupplaysanimportantroleinnormalisingchallengeandmodellingresilience.

• Helpyourchildtoidentify,expressandmanagetheirstrongemotionsmoreeffectivelyby

havingregularconversationsandaskingquestions.

• Don’tsolveproblemsforthembutassistthemtodeveloptheirownproblem-solvingskills.Youmayneedtohelpthemfindwaystodothisbycoaching,encouragingandpromptingthemthroughouttheprocess.

HowwebuildresiliencehereatCGGSAtCGGSourWellbeingFrameworkisinformedandunderpinnedbycurrentresearch,recognisingwellbeingasadynamicconceptthatexistsonacontinuum.Ourframeworkincorporatesfivekeywellbeingdomains;RespectfulRelationships,PositiveEducation,EnvironmentalAppreciation,CognitiveEngagementandHealth.Ourstudentslookholisticallyattheirwellbeing,inanage-appropriateandsequentialmanner.AnessentialcomponentofthisisthewellbeingcurriculumthatistaughtexplicitlythroughourclassteachersinEL–Year6andthroughourForm&TutorprogramatYear7–12,whichinvestigateandprovidepracticalapproachestoenhancingstudenthappinessandwellbeing,includingthedevelopmentofresilience.YearLevel WellbeingTheme UnitsthatpromoteResilience

EL–Year2 Understandingme

BuildingResilienceandValuingEveryone–BRAVEwellbeingprogramUnitsarerepeatedandbuiltuponageappropriatelyinatwo-yearcycleEmotionalLiteracy

Year3-4 Buildingconnections

Year5-6 CommittingtoChallenge

ChallengesandChoicesPositiveIIdentityPersonalStrengthsHelpSeekingPositiveCopingHealthyBody-HealthyMindProblemSolvingStrategiesDigitalWellbeing

7 ConnectedCommunity RespectfulRelationshipsEmotionalLiteracy

8 Self-Discovery HealthyMindsProgramRespectfulRelationships

9 PersonalGrowth SocialandEmotionalLiteracyProblemSolvingandPerspective

10 PurposeandPassion PositiveCopingPurposeandPassionEmergingLeaders

11 ForwardThinking Self-CareStrategiesForwardThinkingLearningtoLead

12 FutureThinking Self-CareStrategiesFutureThinkingLeadershipinPractice

Aspartoftheseunitsweexploreconceptssuchas:

- Socialcompetencies,personalvaluesandpro-socialvalues- Optimismandhope- Purposeandpassion- Connectedcommunityandsupportnetworks- Problem-solvingskills,includingconflictmanagementandcopingstrategies- Positiveself-image

CGGS’sapproachtoteachingresilienceispartofawhole-schoolapproachandonewhereitismodelled,communicatedandvisibleinallaspectsofourschoolculture.Thewellbeingprogramat

CGGSworksalongsideouracademicprogramandthisisfurtherreinforcedintheLeadership,Fivedation,House,Mentor,ServiceLearning,Careers,Co-CurricularandCampPrograms.Ultimately,weknowthatbycreatingasafeandsupportiveenvironmentwherestudentsfeelsupported,valuedandunderstood,weareabletosetthepreconditionsthatenablestudentstoflourish,todevelopresilientandcourageousmindsandasaresult,leaveCGGSasproductiveglobalcitizens.Thewellbeingprograms,initiativesandactivitiesatCGGSaredesignedtohelpstudentsbuildresilienceandexploretheworldandtheirfutureswithasenseofdirection,engagementandoptimism.Theprogramsandactivitiesalsogivethemanopportunitytodiscoverandlearnaboutthemselves,othersandtheworldaroundthem.BethSarlos(SchoolCounsellor)KathWoolcock(DeputyHeadofSeniorSchool–StudentWellbeing)