Yesterday, we held our annual Learning Expo from 9:15am to 10:30am. Parents, grandparents and other loved ones were welcomed into the different learning spaces of our school, to share in our students' learning. I was fortunate to be able to walk around the different classrooms and witness students eagerly sharing their knowledge and skills. The classrooms were a buzz of excitement and full of energy.  

There are many ways that we celebrate learning in our school. We celebrate students at our weekly assemblies, Chapels and in our newsletters. We share highlights on our Instagram account, and we showcase student work on pinboards around the school and in classrooms. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to open our doors and classrooms yesterday and celebrate with our school community in person. When we acknowledge and celebrate the work of our students, we are saying that we are proud of them.  

I recently read a short blog written by Bradley Busch entitled 4 Reasons Why It’s Important To Say “I’m Proud Of You” To Your Child. He states that this positive phrase can reduce the fear of failure, increase self-esteem, and stop a fixed mindset. But most importantly it is what our children want to hear.  

”Saying “I’m proud of you” is so simple, yet research has proved this type of sentence to have very powerful effects. When children hear this phrase from their parents they are less likely to fear failure and instead feel encouraged to learn and try new techniques. They also experience an increased sense of self-worth, which leads to improvements in wellbeing and social relationships.”  

If you didn’t make it to the Learning Expo yesterday, I encourage you to take time to talk to your child about what they are learning in class, do some homework together or drop by the classroom and spend a few moments together looking at their work. Let's celebrate learning together, ensure our students know that we are proud of them and make our school a place where everyone can shine!