MAKE GRATITUDE YOUR ATTITUDE!
This is the slogan for our campaign that we are running for the rest of the term in conjunction with Strength Heroes, the team who have been involved with our staff and community this year looking at effective communication. Many experts identify three pillars of resilience: mindfulness, empathy and gratitude. This term in the lead up to the end of the year the whole school community will be involved in the Gratitude Project. This project will further embed the focus the school has had on developing relationships and communication throughout the whole of the school community. Studies have documented that “positive relationships and even improved school satisfaction can result from introducing the practice of gratitude in schools.” (Heart-Mind Online, 2018) It’s not just the person who practices gratitude that benefits but it also has benefits for the receivers who are more likely to “pay it forward.”
The Gratitude Project is designed to involve the whole school community: staff, students and families. We have designed the project to:
• Develop understanding of gratitude;
• Increase the practice of gratitude in home and school;
• Create opportunities to experience gratitude in the home and school;
• Increase the school community wellbeing through practicing gratitude; and
• Develop a shared responsibility of home and school for emotional wellbeing.
Thank you cards
Printed thank you cards are available which encourage the school community to express gratitude when people demonstrate behaviours linked to school values. These are available for completion in the front office. We encourage you and your family to:
• Be an advocate for the thank you cards by encouraging other parents and your children to write a card.
• Take time to write at least three thank you cards to school community members or local residents or business’s around the school e.g. the person who makes your coffee. If you don’t get to school very often ask your child to pick cards up for you.
Gratitude Tree
A gratitude tree will be launched at the Food Truck night tonight. It will have three branches which represent the school values of Be Respectful, Show Commitment and Be Responsible. The school community will be asked to decorate a leaf and identify what they are grateful for which will be put on the tree. It will then be put in a prominent place in the school. We encourage you to:
• Talk about the tree with your children prior to the night and encourage them to add leaves.
• Identify what you are grateful for and share with children.
Make Gratitude Your Attitude Calendar
A gratitude calendar has been created by the students across the school for the countdown to the school holidays. This has been attached below for you to download and print off for the fridge. Hard copies are available from the front office. This can be used as a family challenge, to spread the attitude of gratitude!
