Wellness and Achievement: Safe and Secure Relationships

Each morning at Kempenfelt Bay School, I stand at the entrance and welcome students and families as they start their day. Rarely am I away from this post. As the year progresses patterns of behaviour, timing, and the inevitable development of safety and security can be seen.

 

This is most noticeable with our youngest students and is a key component of their learning journey. At the onset of the year, a young primary student approaches the entrance to the school with a smile born of nervous excitement. They are close to their parents and will not stray too far. When the door opens, they are not likely to be the first through instead waiting to see their parents enter as an unspoken indication that they are safe and secure in this space. As they continue down the hall, they look for periodic parental eye contact while also looking and learning about all that is new and exciting to them. These are the initial stages of feeling safe and secure and KBS.

 

As the year progresses, I can see changes in how they approach each day. They come to the door first. They begin to feel a growing confidence that comes from feeling safe, and that allows them to open the door and enter with their parents coming in a few seconds later. They still look back to ensure the parent is there, although they have evolved to leading the morning walk to the classroom. From there, they begin to come in on their own, knowing they will be greeted by the KBS staff and faculty that they have come to trust as a meaninging part of the day. This trust that breeds a feeling of safety and security is the early cornerstone of our culture. It is the creation of an impactful learning relationship, and provides the foundation upon which learning and development can be achieved. 

 

We know our students, recognize them for who they are and how they are growing, and provide the atmosphere for them to confidently explore what learning looks like to them. From developing trust that leads to feeling safe and secure, KBS is keenly aware that at these stages, weaving together wellness and achievement are important to establishing the confidence that allows learning to take hold.