Kia ora koutou,

I hope everyone has had a great week so far. I am in Auckland with the senior leadership team, Jason Boobyer and Nicky Khoo, attending a three-day professional learning conference. The conference is centred around Bréne Brown's work on Daring Leadership. The first day has been highly valuable, and we are excited about the upcoming days.

Lately, we have been focusing on the Zone of Regulation Learning, specifically helping students understand the concept of "the size of the problem" and how it relates to their reactions. As parents, many of us have witnessed our children reacting strongly to what we perceive as minor issues. As adults, we're not always perfect in this regard either. By teaching emotional regulation deliberately, we empower and guide students to manage their emotions and respond more appropriately.

To give you some insight into this learning, we encourage students to pause, breathe, and smile when a problem arises. This simple action allows their minds to take a quick break and helps them consider the actual "size of the problem." Understanding the size of a problem is a crucial social skill that enables students to evaluate the seriousness of a situation and respond accordingly.

Here's how we categorise problems for better understanding:

Small Problem:

• It causes minor frustration or annoyance.
• The feelings will last a short time, usually less than 10 minutes.
• Typically affects only one person.
• It can be solved easily and quickly, often by the child themselves.

Examples:

• Losing a pencil.
• Something not going their way in a game.
• Feeling bothered by someone looking at them.
• Being pushed in front of the line.
• Small miscommunications or disagreements between friends.

Medium Problem:

• This might involve or affect more than one person.
• The problem could last longer, take more time to solve, or involve stronger emotions.
• Often requires an adult's assistance.

Examples:

• Someone getting hurt.
• Forgetting lunch at home.
• Feeling sick.
• An ongoing disagreement with friends that they couldn't resolve on their own.

Big Problem:

• An emergency requiring immediate adult help.
• Likely to affect many people.
• Involved large emotions- eg fear, grief
• Someone is hurt and may need to go to the doctor.

Examples:

• A flood.
• A significant fall resulting in someone getting hurt.
• A family loss

Sometimes, as children are learning to navigate their emotions, they may have a stronger reaction to a small problem. We aim to teach our children to be active problem solvers and employ techniques to regulate their emotions, such as taking a break, going for a walk, doing something they enjoy, using positive self-talk, having a drink of water, or talking to a friend.

This approach aligns with the Whare Tapa Wha - Health and Wellbeing Model, particularly the pillar called Tapa Hinengaro (Mental and Emotional Health). Taking good care of our taha hinengaro (mental and emotional well-being- mind, heart, conscience, thoughts and feelings) improves our resilience in coping with life's ups and downs, fostering healthy ways of thinking and communicating.

It’s been neat hearing our students of all ages being able to talk about some of the Zones of Regulation learning and put these skills into practice.

Thanks all for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your week.

Ngaa mihi,

Nyree Olliver