Welcome to Counsellor’s Corner!

At ISA, student wellbeing sits at the heart of everything we do and what we stand for – even in our mission statement ‘a safe and caring learning environment’, we don’t just mean physical safety, but increasingly, in this time, emotional security too.

In our latest blog, Valerie shares her thoughts on Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE’s)…

Considering everything our children have been through this past year with pandemic influence, we worry about trauma, significant covid affects during developmental years, and how this will impact our children.

PCE's - What are they? They are Positive Childhood Experiences. Hope can be an antidote to worry, and PCE's help us reframe our approach to normalizing a not so normal year.

Christina Bethell of Johns Hopkins University, one of the major researchers on PCEs, defines a positive childhood experience as “feeling safe in our families to talk about emotions and things that are hard, and feeling supported during hard times.” Examples of family PCEs include:

· Being able to talk openly to a family member or as a family about feelings and to feel heard, accepted and supported.

· Belief that family stood by them during difficult times.

· Feeling safe and protected by an adult in the home.

Examples of non-family PCEs include:

· Having a sense of belonging and connection with a larger group who has “got your back” (e.g. school, church, clubs, neighborhood, etc.).

· Enjoyment of participation in community traditions, hobbies, or after school activities.

· Relationship with at least one non-parent adult who takes a genuine interest in you.

Rest assured, the little things you do to connect with your children, make a BIG difference during these exceptional times.

Warm regards,

Valerie DeGraw, Guidance Counsellor