After the rain comes… a rainbow

Camp and carnivals in the rain aren’t ideal but they build resilience and create memories.

Rain, mud and freezing temperatures were unwelcome guests on many of the Secondary camp programs during Student Opportunity Week this year. Just a few weeks later, Primary students battled the elements when their already-postponed athletics carnival finally took place – on the coldest day of the year so far.

While it’s understandable that students (and teachers!) might feel tempted to stay warm and dry at home on days like these, getting through the challenge helps build resilience.

“Sometimes you don’t anticipate where you might find joy,” explains Head of Wellbeing, Phillipa Reeves. “What might seem a hardship actually can help to foster relationships and experiences and memories. The positives might be found in the conversations that you have, or a sense of camaraderie and collective experience. Those kinds of moments can be quite defining.”

When students have persisted and been successful Ms Reeves says they have a greater sense of achievement and wellbeing. “Happiness is a by-product that comes when we develop the essential skills of resilience, self regulation, resourcefulness, respect and responsibility. To have any success, we need to be able to persevere and not give up.”

Of course, at NBCS we understand that there are levels of challenge. “It’s important for parents to know that if weather conditions are dangerous, or if activities can’t run, we have processes in order to ensure that students stay safe,” she says. “But if we take away all adversity, we don’t develop the grit to go out into the world and be confident to face whatever challenge will come at us.”