Dear Parents and Carers,

Resilience … it’s a familiar word, isn’t it? But what does it really mean?

When we talk about resilience, we’re talking about a child’s ability to cope with ups and downs, and bounce back from the challenges they experience during childhood – for example moving home, changing schools, change to family dynamics or dealing with the death of a loved one. Building resilience helps children not only to deal with current difficulties that are a part of everyday life, but also to develop the basic skills and habits that will help them deal with challenges later in life, during adolescence and adulthood.

Resilience is important for children’s mental health. Children with greater resilience are better able to manage stress, which is a common response to difficult events. If children are stressed for long periods of time, stress hormones (particularly cortisol) can build up in their brain and interfere with their ability to learn and pay attention in school. Using healthy coping skills to deal with stress can help your child to pay attention, use higher level thinking skills and learn new facts and ideas.

So Where Does Resilience Come From?
Resilience is shaped partly by the individual characteristics we are born with (our genes, temperament and personality) and partly by the environment we grow up in — our family, community and the broader society. While there are some things we can’t change, such as our biological makeup, there are many things we can change. 

Resilience involves behaviours, thoughts and actions that can be learned over time. Latest research has found that there are five areas that offer the best chance for building resilience in children.  

As a parent, carer, or significant adult, you can help to develop essential skills, habits and attitudes for building resilience at home by helping your child to:

• build good relationships with others including adults and peers
• build their independence
• learn to identify, express and manage their emotions
• build their confidence by taking on personal challenges

There are some simple things you can do to build your child’s resilience in these areas and a quick Google search will provide many different resources for you to check out. Beyond Blue’s funded The Children’s Resilience Research Project has many wonderful resources on building resilience which are worth looking at.

https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/healthy-homes/building-resilience

Next week is Sabbath Week. It is typically Week 7 each term and is a week to pause, rest and be present to each day. The Sabbath is a traditionally Jewish custom where one day in seven was devoted to rest and worship. Many other cultures have similar cultural observances.

At St Benedict’s the Sabbath Week is specifically timed when energy levels begin to dip during the term giving us a small pause before completing the final weeks of the term. We do not send homework during that week, so as to provide families with a little respite from very busy home routines. We always encourage reading as a pleasurable activity so we provide readers for our younger students, not referring to this as homework.

I hope all families enjoy a restful long weekend.

Thank you for your ongoing care and partnership in your child’s learning.

God bless.

Rachel Smith
Principal