Accomplishment means thinking positive thoughts and not giving up. It is about having what we call a “Growth Mindset” which is the belief that if we work hard, we can achieve whatever we want to achieve, regardless of natural talent. Using a growth mindset makes us proud of our efforts.
Accomplishment is also about challenging and believing in yourself, learning from mistakes and making a plan and working to achieve goals.
At Barwon Heads PS Accomplishment means:
Think positive thoughts and not give up
Challenge myself
Always do the best I can
Have a growth Mindset
Learn from my mistakes
Believe in myself
Achieve my personal best and not compare myself to others
Make a plan and work hard to achieve my goals.
This clip expalins the Growth Mindset.
The following books are my favourite Growth Mindset reads.
Flight School
Giraffes Can’t Dance – The Classic Growth Mindset story
Meaning is an important part of our school’s PERMA wellbeing (Starfish) model. Within this area sits “Voice and Agency” which are integral elements of the vision of our school.
When people use their voice, agency and aspirations, they can make a difference and shape the world around them by doing things such as:
Looking after and respecting the environment
Making decisions, asking questions and reflecting on learning
Doing things that make a positive difference and
Confidently voicing ideas
This is a book about a girl called Molly Lou Melon who uses her voice to be true to herself and stand up for what she believes to be right.
Marcenia’s actions and courage ensured that her voice was heard. Her determination, drive and refusal to give up led her to achieve her dream.
“Say Something” by Peter Reynolds, because every voice matters!
In this inspiring 6 minute talk, 10 year old Maddie Cranston shares her experiences and accomplishments to inspire kids to have a voice and speak out about what they believe in. Maddie looks to inspire others to believe in themselves and realize that they have the power to make change happen. Maddie’s message is focused on the importance of children believing in themselves and using their voice and ingenuity to help bring about positive change in the world.
Researchers consider healthy relationships to be the single most important factor in happiness.
“People with strong and broad social relationships are happier, healthier and live longer. Close relationships with family and friends provide love, meaning, support and increase our feelings of self worth. Broader networks bring a sense of belonging. So taking action to strengthen our relationships and build connections is essential for happiness”.
Our connections with other people are at the heart of happiness – theirs and ours. Whether these connections are with our partners, families, friends, work colleagues, neighbours or people in our broader communities, they all contribute to our happiness. Chris Peterson, one of the founders of positive psychology puts it simply as: “Other people matter”.
Martin Seligman who created the PERMA framework for wellbeing rates relationships as one of the keys to wellbeing too.
This week we can reflect on the qualities of (or what makes) a good friend and why our friends are important to us. We can think of the ways we connect with our friends.
Within our BHPS positive statements, Relationships means; “I can accept, understand and empathise with others”.
We created this video in 2021. (back in the times we had lockdowns!) It is about the ways in which we can nurture our relationships. Hope you enjoy watching it!
People who are good friends recognise and understand the emotions of others so that they can figure out how others are feeling. Research has shown that empathy (noticing what other people are feeling) is associated with children who are smarter, nicer, happier and more resilient. Have you reached out to someone who may not be feeling great?
There are many great ways to connect and I bet you can all remember this song by The Wiggles!
Rose Meets Mr Wintergarden is another book about empathy and making connections and being kind.
Stick and Stone
The Little Book of Friendship
Some ideas for connecting include:
Talking with family and friends via phone, Facetime or Zoom. You could even do an activity together such as baking or making something. You could set up a backyard challenge and share with your friends.
Write handwritten cards or notes to family and friends. These could be posted or dropped off in people’s mailboxes. Everyone loves receiving these! You could also send messages via text or email.
Make encouraging posters and signs and put them in your windows to support your neighbours. This can also be a fun craft project.
There are so many examples of people connecting and being kind to others in our community. We would love to hear about how you connect – feel free to share on this blog x
At Barwon Heads PS we define Engagement as making the most of learning opportunities. Engagement is the second arm of our PERMA model. This can mean tuning in to instruction and tasks and focussing on schoolwork. Being engaged can also means achieving a state of “flow”. This can happen when doing many activities including maths, playing sport, reading, writing and drawing/painting.
Ways in which students are engaged at school include:
Being enthusiastic towards learning
Tuning in to instruction and tasks
Using the Learning Focus and Success Criteria
Making the most of conferencing time with teachers
Focussing on school-work
Following class and school rules
Thinking before acing or speaking
Acting with self-control in the classroom and in the yard.
Turn and talk to a partner –
Which things on this list do you do best? Which things on this list would you like to do better at?
Some tips and ideas on Engagement
More about Flow
The Boy How Loved Words – How does Felix’s love of words connect to “Engagement”?
