Messages from the Principal
Dear Parents and Friends of St Kevin’s,
Well-being and learning of our students is the core business of our school. As parents and teachers, we need to work together to ensure that we are equipping our children with all the skills they need to be successful adults. We cannot do it alone – parents or teachers, we are a team, we are a village that is raising children together. We can’t blame others – parents, teachers or other students, we need to always be focussed and positive in assisting our children to overcome hurdles and barriers that they encounter so as to develop into successful and active members of society.
On Wednesday I attended some Professional Development in Leading Learning. One aspect that came up was the necessity to develop within our students a growth mindset. Mrs Hogan has spoken about this in previous newsletters. A growth mindset is a path to success in all aspects of life, demonstrating grit and determination, whereas a fixed mindset leads to frustration and learned helplessness. The photo below outlines what the growth and fixed mindset looks like with your children and their reactions. Together as parents and teachers we need to help them to challenge themselves, work hard even when the work is hard, persevere and keep going in order to succeed. We want our children to reach their full potential.
The other interesting information was a letter I received from our Early Years Learning Educator at CSO, Kim Moroney, around the development of the brain. I have included a section of this letter for you that explains how the brain develops.
In recent years, Neuroscience Educator Nathan Wallis presented evidence-based research on brain development to teachers in schools across the Diocese. Wallis emphasised that early childhood is the time when the brain has the greatest amount of neuroplasticity and the greatest ability to change. Wallis explained that the human brain is composed of 4 brains:
- Brain stem is the survival brain. – Heart rate, breathing and flight, fight or freeze response.
- Cerebellum is the movement brain – Coordination and movement.
- Limbic system is the feeling brain - Feeling and emotional response.
- Frontal cortex is the thinking brain – Language, empathy, control emotions, learning and cognitive skills.
At the age of 18 months to 7 years old, we move into the development of the feeling/emotional brain. Emotions may come from brain number 3, but the ability to control emotions comes from Brain 4. Brain 4 begins to be highlighted around the ages of 7 – 8 years old, then continues development up until the average age of 27, or in some cases, 32! Often our current culture is focused on developing Brains 1 and 2; whilst rushing Brain 3 to go straight to Brain 4.
The growth of the frontal cortex is experience dependent. The brain is genetically and biologically designed to interact and be moulded with the environment it encounters. To use the frontal cortex, your brain stem needs to be calm. Between the ages of 2- 7 years of age, a major key focus should be the development of learning dispositions. Learning dispositions include the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours a person has towards someone or something. They include creativity, curiosity, problem-solving, resilience, perseverance, meta-cognition and questioning. Learning dispositions are developed through play. Child-led play is not free range. Parents and teachers support the needs, interests and capabilities of the child by observing play and by enhancing, scaffolding and extending the environment the child engages in. The developing brain is fascinating, and I recommend the research of Nathan Wallis to you.
So what does this research tell us as parents and teachers? Just like the growth mindset, we as parents and teachers need work together to ensure we give our children’s brains every opportunity to develop fully. We want our children to have empathy, be able to control their emotions and not lash out every time they do not get their own way or have a disagreement. We need them to be resilient and creative, independent and emotionally intelligent. Again we can’t blame others – parents, teachers or students – we need to always work as a team to ensure the best for our children.
This brain development also links in with what children bring to school in their invisible backpack – trauma, additional needs, divorce, grief, hunger, lack of sleep, arguments with siblings. A developing brain may not yet be able to emotionally comprehend things that happen in their lives, and at times react negatively at school or home. We as the teachers and parents need to always listen, guide and support our children through these tricky times. Being a parent and a teacher are amazing jobs, but boy they can be hard work at times!!
Enjoy the weekend with your beautiful children, fostering a growth mindset and their well-being.
Mary-Anne Jennings
