UNDERSTANDING emotions and using ‘mindfulness’ techniques to cope with overwhelming feelings have been major elements in a ten-week course undertaken by a group of Chisholm Catholic Primary School pupils.
The course was based on the Mindup curriculum, and taught some of the science behind emotions in a bid to help children become more comfortable in themselves and within social situations.
At the end of the course, the pupils built ‘Calm Kits’ - tool boxes that contained visual and tactile reminders of the techniques learnt during the course to help them slow down their breathing and keep calm, and calm down.
Ten Kindergarten and Year 1 pupils were involved in the program, and they were selected by teachers because they thought they would benefit most from learning these techniques in a small group setting.
According to Chisholm’s school counsellor Monique Beglinger who ran the program, the pupils took their Calm Kits home after the course was completed, so they could continue practising their new-found skills either alone or with the help of their parents.
“They learnt strategies on being able to manage those ‘big’ overwhelming feelings by using mindfulness techniques – feelings like frustration, anger, being worried, nervous and being sad, those feelings that can get in the way of learning and managing peer relationships,” Ms Beglinger said.
“The aim was to help the children understand their emotions and behaviours, as well as their relationships, social skills, and being part of a community.”
Tools for the Calm Kits were donated by Bunnings McGraths Hill, and a Bunnings employee came out to the school to help the children put them together.
Ms Beglinger said the kits included a toy animal with an inflatable stomach to remind the children how to ‘deep breathe’, a bubble bottle and straws to help them regulate their breathing, and an eraser to remind them that fear is an emotion stemming from their brain’s amygdala and it can be regulated.
“The Calm Kit is really about having that ‘tool kit’ of strategies, being the visual representation of the strategies they’ve learnt over the past ten weeks,” said Ms Beglinger.
“The focus was on making fun and engaging ways of learning how to breathe when you’re stressed. The kit also contains strength cards with little reminders like ‘I am brave’, ‘I am strong’ and ‘I’m a good learner’.”
As well as breathing strategies, the pupils also practiced guided meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided yoga.
“Quite a big theme has been around understanding their brain and how it works in leading to emotions and behaviour,” Ms Beglinger said.
“These strategies have been reinforced in the classroom and resources have been given to parents as well, for at home. The skills are generalised so they can use them wherever they are and whenever they’re feeling stressed.
“The idea is for them to practise at home using the items regularly to really help build that neural pathway in the brain.”
Ms Beglinger has run courses like this at other schools in the Parramatta Diocese but this is the first time Chisholm has been involved.
“The basis of the program is using mindfulness to provide those emotional regulation skills. We did a lot of work around their senses, mindful movement and mindful eating, and being more self-aware in the world,” she said.
