What Is PERMA? PERMA is a special word made up of five letters, each representing a different key to happiness and wellbeing. Think of them as ingredients that, when combined, create the perfect recipe for a happy and fulfilling life.

1. Positive Emotions (P): Positive emotions are like little bursts of happiness that make our hearts sing. They can be as simple as feeling joyful when you see a rainbow or sharing a laugh with friends. To boost positive emotions, try to focus on the good things in life, like your favourite activities, fun times with family, or even a delicious ice cream cone on a sunny day.
2. Engagement (E): Engagement means being fully involved and absorbed in what you’re doing. It’s that feeling when time flies by because you’re having so much fun. Whether you’re painting, playing a game, or reading a fascinating book, getting lost in an activity you love can bring you lots of happiness.
3. Relationships (R): Having good friends and a loving family is like having treasures beyond measure. Building strong and positive relationships with the people around you is a key part of wellbeing. Spend time with your loved ones, share your feelings, and lend a helping hand when they need it.
4. Meaning (M): Finding meaning in life is like discovering a special mission just for you. It could be something as simple as taking care of your pets or helping others in need. When you feel like you’re making a positive difference in the world, it fills your heart with happiness and satisfaction.
5. Accomplishment (A): Achieving goals, no matter how big or small, gives us a sense of accomplishment. Think of it as earning stars in your adventure journal. Set goals for yourself, like learning a new skill or doing well in school, and celebrate your successes along the way.

Putting It All Together: Imagine PERMA as five colorful puzzle pieces that fit together to create a beautiful picture of happiness. Just like a puzzle, it may take some time to figure out how to make each piece fit perfectly in your life. But don’t worry; everyone’s puzzle looks different, and that’s what makes life exciting!

Remember, happiness isn’t about having everything perfect all the time. It’s about enjoying the journey, learning from challenges, and embracing the little moments that make life wonderful.

The PERMA formula is like a treasure map to happiness, guiding you through the magical world of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. We can use this map to find happiness and live our lives to their fullest potential.

This Beautiful Day

Happy Dreamer by Peter Reynolds

I’m sure that I echo the feelings of our whole school community in saying that we are sad to see Mr Vella leave. However, at this morning’s assembly, it was powerful to reflect on Mr Vella’s qualities and the strengths that he brought to our school.

Me Vella is someone who is naturally strengths focussed and this is one of the reasons why he is so loved at our school! He is good at celebrating all the things that go right and looking for the strengths in others.

Yesterday, the grade 5 & 6 cohort did some character strength activities. They learnt that we all have the 24 character strengths, but in differing orders and that it is possible to build on strengths using a growth mindset. They did an activity wherein they identified the strengths of their classmates and many were proudly surprised about the strengths that their peers saw in them.

Focussing on your strengths and those of others enables us to be the best version of ourselves. It is possible to develop our character through learning, practising and cultivating strengths. Knowing our strengths and appreciating character strengths in others is the key to living happy and meaningful lives.

We will miss Mr Vella, but I have no doubt that his enduring legacy at BHPS will be that we focus on “what went well” and for us to continue to seek and nurture the best of each other.

Here is the link to the survey to find your character strengths.

https://www.viacharacter.org/

There are some great “strength spotting” activities on this website that you could use at home during the school holidays.

Teach Strength Spotting

Science of Character (from the VIA Institutue)

Know your character strengths

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLUOlLRbazA

24 Character Strengths explained

Kindness is like a superpower and in this blog post, we’re going to talk about why kindness is one of the most important character strengths you can have and comes within the Positive Emotions arm of our PERMA model.

First things first, what is kindness?

Kindness is when you do nice things for others without expecting anything in return. It’s like giving someone a big, warm hug for their heart. Kindness can be as simple as saying “hello” with a smile, helping a friend when they’re in need, or sharing your toys with others. It’s all about spreading love and happiness!

Here’s why kindness is super important:

1. It Makes People Happy: When you’re kind to someone, it can light up their whole day! Just think about how good it feels when someone is kind to you. You can be the reason someone smiles, and that’s pretty amazing.
2. It Builds Friendships: Being kind helps you make lots of friends. When you’re friendly and caring, people want to be around you because they feel good when they’re with you. Kindness is like a glue that holds friendships together.
3. It Makes the World a Better Place: Imagine if everyone was kind to each other. The world would be a much happier and peaceful place. When you’re kind, you’re like a little superhero, making the world a better place one act of kindness at a time.
4. It Makes You Feel Good: Did you know that being kind also makes you feel good inside? When you help someone or do something nice, it fills your heart with happiness and warmth. It’s like a cozy feeling that stays with you all day.
5. It Teaches Important Values: Kindness teaches us important values like empathy, compassion, and understanding. It helps us learn how to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and see the world from their perspective.
6. It’s Contagious: Kindness is like a magical virus, but in a good way! When you’re kind to someone, they often want to be kind to others too. So, your kindness can start a chain reaction of more and more acts of kindness.
7. It Makes You Strong: Kindness is not just about being nice to others; it’s also about being strong. It takes courage to stand up for what’s right and help those in need. Kindness shows how strong and awesome you are!

Always remember that kindness is a superpower you have within you. Use it to make the world a better place, spread joy and love, and build amazing friendships along the way.

Keep being kind, and you’ll see just how incredible and powerful it can be. The world is a brighter place because of you and your kindness. 🌟❤️

This is an advertisement about an ordinary man who goes about doing random acts of kindness

The Science of Kindness

Give in the Giving

Kindness is My Superpower Read Aloud (8.5 mins)

Can you think of a book that you or your class has read recently that has the theme or examples of Kindness.

Name something that you are going to do to show kindness today!