María Dios Zetterlind
Deputy Head

ELIS Murcia

 

“Your kindness can make a difference in someone’s life,” wrote Antoine Griezmann, French footballer for Atlético Madrid, in a recent emotional message directed at children as they begin the school year. His post, amplified by the power of his 41 million Instagram followers, included an explicit request for them to take action if they saw a classmate, “having trouble making friends, perhaps because they were shy, not as attractive, or didn’t wear trendy clothes.”

Despite the generational gap and the stark differences in their professions, Griezmann unknowingly placed us on the path of teacher and pedagogue Loris Malaguzzi. Much like the Italian educator believed in students’ potential to self-regulate and take responsibility for their own learning, Griezmann trusted in their ability to personally and decisively contribute to the happiness of their peers. After all, contributing to the emotional wellbeing of children and young people transcends generations, professions and even personal connections. It’s a moral obligation that binds us and makes us responsible not only for our own children but also for their classmates. This is why schools become ideal spaces where teachers and parents come together to promote this shared social and emotional learning, which will guide their personal and academic development.

Recognising the importance of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, the entire Cognita community will soon celebrate the sixth edition of Global Be Well Day, a fantastic opportunity to continue working towards and to remind ourselves, one day a year, of one of our top priorities every day of the year. In this endeavour, parents play a fundamental role. As a complement to school activities, they can help develop the physical and mental habits that aid their children’s return to school, such as ensuring they get enough sleep, maintaining a balanced diet and engaging in regular physical activity.

In addition, we should encourage pupils to be open and flexible when forming connections with others, to embark on activities that fulfil them and to foster a sense of commitment to helping others. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), emotional wellbeing is a state in which an individual realises their abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, works productively, and contributes to their community. Therefore, alongside UNESCO, they urge countries to turn every school into a health and wellbeing hub.

All this being said, we understand that the return to school can generate some anxieties in the early days. Talking to children and young people about any potential social or academic challenges will help us better understand their emotions and assist them in facing their fears.

Thus, while it’s important to maintain a positive attitude, we must also take into account the challenges they may find and provide them with the appropriate tools to share what worries them most. However, it’s crucial that all of this happens naturally, without pressure, giving them the space, freedom and agency to express their positive experiences whenever they like, and their fears or concerns when they need to.

A special mention goes to our dedicated teachers, who from day one instil a positive attitude towards learning, explain the school’s daily routines, model behaviours rooted in the school’s values and consequently define what is expected of the students. This teamwork is rewarded with the satisfaction of seeing the excitement on students’ faces, knowing they are eager and hopeful at the start of a new school year, which will be decisive in their journey of personal, emotional and academic growth, transforming them into responsible, committed global citizens.

Returning to the initial point: thank you for your continued collaboration and involvement, which allows us to keep making a significant difference in the lives of our students.