From the Principal
MAKING SPACE FOR LEARNING PROJECT
Last Friday I had the privilege of attending the Showcase for schools participating in the Making Space for Learning Project. Nativity is one of these schools. The project ran over eighteen months that investigated the science of the brain and its connectedness to how we function in handling our everyday thinking, metacognition, social responses, emotions, short and long term memory, behaviour etc. A particular part of the project involved understanding how trauma significantly affects the brain and it’s development and responses to everyday experiences.
The project was undertaken by the whole teaching staff with the aim to identify question and then establish the research to measure the impact on our students. Our question centered on the social and emotional learning programs and how this directly affected our students’ abilities to remain within their window of tolerance regarding emotions and behaviour. Part the process involved the explicit teaching about the brain, how it works and what parts of the brain are responsible for.
The feedback from the staff after completing project was summarised in the following extract from the final report as part of the Showcase:
“Making Space for Learning has taught me to understand what Window of Tolerance the students in my class learn best and how to keep them within their Window of Tolerance. The Cave of Calmness has provided a great calming space and also a safe space for many students in my class who return from recess of lunch heightened. MFSL has also taught me to be mindful of the student’s feelings towards different subject areas and where mindfulness learning needs to be integrated within my classroom.”
Specific differences the staff have noticed in our students include:
• A general tone of clam in learning environments and play spaces.
• Decreased frequency of student ‘melt downs’
• Increase of students verbalising their emotional state and accessing strategies such as the Cave of Calmness to regulate themselves.
• Increased ownership of self-regulation and conflict resolution.
• Student empathizing with other students when they become worried, angry or anxious
The students from across the year levels had recognised that learning about the brain had helped them considerably in recognising dysfunctional behaviour and how to deal with moments anger, anxiety and stress. Examples of this include the introduction of the Cave of Calmness in the St Joseph Building and the meditation experiences after play periods.
The project has led the staff and students toward a more positive mindset and faith that students have the capabilities to handle difficult life experiences in a calm and respectful manner.
Congratulations to everyone involved with a special thank you to Donna King who led us to be involved in the project and to Sally Paparella who continued the leadership this year.
CONFIRMATION
Congratulations also to the thirteen candidates from the Parish who are celebrating their Confirmation this weekend. Families are most welcome to attend the celebration being held in the church Saturday 22 June at 2.00 pm
Kind regards
Greg Haynes