Gratitude

This month's Wellness Spotlight focuses on Gratitude and performing Random Acts of Kindness. There are many benefits associated with expressing gratitude including stronger relationships with others, improved resiliency, and better overall mental and physical health.

Our students will be learning about gratitude this month as well as random acts of kindness. Our Mental Health Team - Student Advocacy Counsellors and Wellness Coaches - will be sharing resources with students, staff and families, and supporting activities and initiatives in our classrooms.

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

Here are some links that our team recommends for families to encourage and promote a gratitude at home:

• Gratitude - Looks Like, Sounds Like, Feels Like (Successful Families, Successful Kids)
  This resource was developed by our SFSK Wellness Coaches and can help you start a conversation about gratitude by identifying what gratitude looks like, sounds like, and feels like. 
  
  
• The Mental Health Benefits of Gratitude for Kids & Teens (Anxiety & Depression Association of America)
  Learn about how kids and teens can benefit from incorporating gratitude into their daily lives.
  
  
• The Four A's of Expressing Gratitude
  
  

Watch for the Counsellor's Connections newsletter from your Student Advocacy Counsellor for more information about what is happening with Gratitude and Random Acts of Kindness at your school! For more curated resources, please visit the Gratitude section of our Mental Health Resources for Families on our website.

GRATITUDE CONTEST

Each month we are offering students, staff and families the opportunity to share their own stories related to our theme on our Engage NLPS website. You can write us a story or poem, make a video, draw or paint a picture, or tell your story in whatever other creative way you can think of. 

For December, here are some things you may want to consider when telling or creating your Gratitude story:

• What are three things you are grateful for?
• What are your favourite ways to express gratitude to someone else?
• Have you ever performed a Random Act of Kindness for someone else? What did you do?
• How do you practise gratitude in your life?

Everyone who shares a story will be entered into a monthly draw for a prize, may have their story featured in our Wellness Showcase in May, and will be eligible for our year-end grand prize. Staff or students who submit stories will also earn entries for their school. At the end of the year, one of our schools will also win a prize for their whole school!

We will be sharing more ways to win on Facebook and Instagram. Like and follow us so you don't miss our posts.