A return to community transmission of COVID-19 in New Zealand has meant a heightening of emotional responses within families. Children easily sense their parents’ emotional state and many will find classrooms reopening next week a particularly difficult time. Teachers and principals will once again need to meet the mental health needs of children as they return to school.
NZEI, the NZ Principals’ Federation, the Sir John Kirwan Foundation and The University of Auckland Centre for Arts and Social Transformation are renewing their call for schools to support students wellbeing through the use of the arts-based resource Te Rito Toi.
Professor Peter O’Connor from the University of Auckland says:
“International evidence is clear that a focus on wellbeing is the quickest and most effective way to re-engage children with learning following or during crisis. Teachers will need to acknowledge the uncertainty and worries that many children will bring back to school.”
Te Rito Toi provided teachers with expert advice and support after the first COVID-19 school closures. Preliminary research into the use of Te Rito Toi after the first lockdown shows very high levels of use by teachers and a focus on arts making was the priority for many schools as they navigated the emotional roller coaster of the last months.
Webinars to provide professional development support for teachers will be hosted by NZEI next week. Additional details to come.
SHARE YOUR TE RITO TOI STORY
Following the initial success of Te Rito Toi in the classroom after the first COVID-19 lockdown, we have decided to build an online gallery to exhibit the outstanding work created by students and their teachers.
The Te Rito Toi online gallery hopes to provide a space to celebrate the possibility and beauty of the arts to re-engage students with the wonder of learning.
If you have already used the Te Rito Toi resources and would like to share your work please contact Christa Napier-Robertson at: christa.napier-robertson@auckland.ac.nz or visit https://www.teritotoi.org/share/
We are keen to:
- Gather videos or images of work created
- Gather videos or images of the creative process
For your creative work to be included in the launch of the online gallery please share with Christa by Tuesday, 15 September.
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