Changes to routine, new classes and new teachers can create feelings of uncertainty. This is an important opportunity for us to support students in building resilience by teaching and practising positive coping and emotional regulation strategies.

At Living Faith, we draw on elements of The Resilience Project to help students develop skills that support their wellbeing. Strategies that encourage gratitude, empathy and mindfulness can strengthen students’ ability to manage worry, stay calm in new situations and respond to challenges with confidence. By teaching children to recognise their emotions, sit with uncomfortable feelings and choose helpful strategies, we equip them with lifelong tools to manage future difficulties. 

Some helpful strategies that may assist students to regulate their emotions include: 

• Counting pulse or counting objects/colours 
• Going for a walk 
• Lazy 8 breathing/Square breathing 
• Listening to music 
• Puzzles or drawing/reading 
• Rolling on an exercise ball 
• Swinging or using a trampoline 
• Wall push-ups 

As well as these strategies, below are some simple home practices that align with the GEM approach and can help children feel calmer, more grounded and more connected:

Gratitude 

• Share three things that went well today at dinner or bedtime 
• Create a gratitude jar and place notes inside to read at the end of term 

Empathy 

• Encourage your child to do a small act of kindness for someone at home or school 
• Ask questions such as, ‘How do you think they might be feeling?’ 
• Write a thank-you note to someone who has helped them this year 

Mindfulness 

• Try a mindful walk and notice sounds, colours, movements and smells 
• Do a quiet activity together such as colouring, cloud-watching or listening to calming music 

Another way to support students at this time of year is to help them reflect on the size of a problem and identify appropriate strategies to manage it. When students learn to notice whether a challenge is big, medium or small, they are more likely to respond with confidence and resourcefulness. 

By intentionally teaching these strategies now, we can support students to feel more secure during end-of-year transitions and equip them with lifelong skills that nurture wellbeing and resilience. 

Melissa Tronc 

Director of Senior Primary