PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Kia ora e te whānau,
Another exciting week at Palmerston School as we head into our Tryalthon on Friday. Our children have been practising their swimming, running and riding to be ready for this event. We look forward to welcoming people from the community to cheer them on, the start time is 1pm with the senior children going first.
Aumakea/Perseverance & Resilience is one of our four school values and I believe one that we all need to be actively seeking opportunities for our children to learn as young as possible. It is something you learn and is vital for your capacity to manage emotions, participate in learning, build healthy friendships and good relationships outside of friendships. This then leads to a more successful life experience and the capacity to enjoy life as we see difficult situations as learning experiences.
All too often I see adults swooping in and trying to ‘fix things’ with the intention of protecting their child or doing things for them to keep them happy. However, sitting underneath Aumakea is frustration, problem solving, grit, communication, negotiation, self awareness, compassion, curiosity, pride, discomfort, courage, decision making and triumph. Wow, wouldn't we all be better humans if we had the capacity to move through all of these skills and emotions as we are faced with the difficulties of our everyday lives?
Being a parent and working with children is hard! Our goal is to grow independent well adjusted humans who can go out into the world with the capacity to make choices and lead a successful life and this means as Mrs G would say “moving through the hard to get to the easy.”
At school we encourage children to carry their own school bag, push their bike, manage their own belongings and ask for help. We also provide opportunities to take risks, keep trying when things are difficult and encourage them to take the first steps in solving friendship issues while knowing how to seek adult help when needed.
Pause, Breathe Smile is another way we are helping children to understand their emotions, manage their wellbeing and be more mindful about what they do.
If you would like to have a go at home there are some great resources on the parent section of the website.
Ngā mihi nui
Kerry Forse
Principal/Tumuaki