One of the most challenging and disruptive terms I think I have experienced in my teaching career, is coming to an end.  Staff and students will be looking forward to having some down time and a chance to recharge the batteries, which hasn’t really happened this year for many of us.

With parent teacher interviews taking place on most days this week, it has been so refreshing to hear the gratitude and grateful comments that are being passed onto teachers.  Not only is it fantastic to hear positive comments about the work our teachers are doing and how well students have progressed through what will probably go down as one of the most unsettled years in recent history, a simple acknowledgement of what the school and staff have done in recent months is definitely uplifting.  Staff are grateful for the wonderful kind gestures that many families have been so generous with – from yummy morning teas, coffee vouchers, thankful emails, conversations and phone calls – your positive attitude and grateful nature has been what has kept us going.  Your positive attitude is most definitely reflected in your children’s positive attitudes and relationships at school.

Innumerable studies have proven that gratitude makes us happier. It floods our brains with dopamine, the one chemical that has the potential to drown out the negative thoughts and anxious feelings we too often carry throughout the day.  If you make an effort to be grateful, you will find that you will be blessed with more things to be grateful for.

It is so easy to focus on the negative, especially in times of crisis and trauma– which I feel our community has had more than its fair share of. Every night before you to go to sleep, even thinking about everything you were grateful for throughout the day. Over time, you will see your list of things becomes much longer!

Having a gratitude attitude is really using the power of positive thinking to it’s highest degree.

I hope that all of our St Joseph’s families have a wonderful break and return safe and sound back to school on Tuesday 21^st July.