Bounceback
This is an Australian programme which provides an abundance of material for our teachers which enables them to provide learning opportunities around wellbeing and resilience.
We teach all our children that in difficult times they can choose to Bounce or Bounceback!
Mr Burke learnt about and started using Bounceback whilst teaching in Singapore and is pleased to bring the programme to St Cecilia's. It is quite natural at times to let an issue consume all of our emotions, this happens even more so during childhood. Bounceback helps children to maintain perspective.
The learning programme explores topics connected to student wellbeing and resilience in nine curriculum units, with a variety of engaging classroom activities. To explore topics, units incorporate high quality children's literature and use Circle Time discussions.
Positive Education integrates the core principles of Positive Psychology with the evidence-informed structures, practices and programmes that have been shown to enhance wellbeing and academic achievement.
- It is a whole school, teacher-led, pupil-centred approach which aims to support all members of a school community to succeed and prosper.
- It is underpinned by Positive Psychology (Seligman & Peterson) and Cognitive Behavioural Theory (Aaron Beck) or evidence-based pedagogy based on understanding that how you think affects how you feel, which influences how you behave.
Resilience describes our ability to cope with and bounce back from negative events, challenges, or situations to return to a sense of wellbeing. In other words, resilience is the capacity to respond adaptively to difficult circumstances and still thrive. Young people need to be socially and academically resilient. Fortunately, the skills to develop resilience can be taught.
The key message from Bounce Back is that everybody experiences setbacks makes mistakes and experiences adversities. This is crucial to building resilience as it normalises challenges as a part of life.
Bounce Back provides the acronym for 10 statements that develop good thinking habits and resilience:
- Bad times don’t last, things will always get better- stay optimistic
- Other people can help, if you ask them.
- Unhelpful thinking makes you feel more upset – think again.
- Nobody’s perfect, not you and not others.
- Concentrate on the positives in a bad situation no matter how small
- Everybody experiences sadness, hurt, failure, rejection and setbacks sometimes, not just you.
- Blame fairly.
- Accept what you can’t change.
- Catastrophizing exaggerates your worries.
- Keep things in perspective.
For our younger pupils there is an adapted, simpler version featuring the word BOUNCE
Taking a whole-school approach to develop resilience is hugely beneficial. We have made wellbeing and resilience a priority.
Parents can support our work building resilience by
- providing them with age-appropriate independence
- not overprotecting their child
- not doing things for them that they can do for themselves
- using the Bounceback message at home
See the Bounceback poster below in pdf format, it's great to talk through it with your child. We have also included a comprehensive parent guide for your information.