Aqilah RegalGrade 11 Peer Guide “It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ― Melody Beattie When is the last time you said thank you to someone? Expressed your love to a family member or a friend? Or maybe just smiled at the fact that it is a sunny day?
In today's society we are all so busy worrying about ourselves and all the bad things, that we don't have enough time to be thankful for all the good things in our lives. Which is why we as Peer guides have decided to host a ‘Gratitude Week’. This is a week in which the learners are encouraged to express what they are grateful for in their lives. It is a week for us to actually stop, take a breath and think about what we appreciate about our school, family, friends and just things that we encounter in a daily basis. But why do we need to be grateful? The most common thing I have heard others say to me, is their desire to be happy.If we want to pursue happiness in our lives we need to adopt a more positive and appreciative outlook on life and practice being grateful. It is scientifically proven that a consistent attitude of gratitude turns you into a happier, more optimistic and empathetic person. And ultimately isn’t this what we want for ourselves, for others? Wouldn’t we all want a school full of these type of people? A school where every learner has a positive outlook and a well balanced life? So I challenge you to adopt an attitude of gratitude and express it openly not only this week but in the weeks to come. We all need to take a break a from our busy lives and actually reflect. It doesn't take much to show your gratitude, you could just do one of the following:
So as you go into this week be sure to ask yourself-How am I going to practice gratitude today?
0 Comments
Yusra BooleyMatric Learner and Head of Peer Guides "Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to accomplish something BIG that we fail to notice the little things that gives life its magic." For the seniors, the start of the third term always brings an atmosphere of stress. The matrics are getting ready for their prelim and final exams, the Grade 11s are involved in leadership interviews and speeches and the other grades are watching with anticipation, waiting for their turn. In the midst of these stressors are exciting things like the upcoming house singing competition and the matric 40 days countdown. Being in matric this year has really changed my perspective on things as I start to get weirdly nostalgic every time I do something at Wynberg for the last time, even the small things, like filling in my timetable on my term planner. This is why I want to encourage you to take the time to enjoy these things and live in the moment to make every day at high school special!
So whether you are in Grade 8 and your high school career is only just beginning, or you are in matric and you are excited for the next chapter in your life, take time to appreciate the things you enjoy about Wynberg and make the most of the time you have left. Parina NaidooMatric Peer Guide “Holidays are about experiences and people, and tuning in to what you feel like doing at the moment. Enjoy each other and not the sound of the clock.” - Evelyn Glennie As the end of the term draws nearer and nearer, a small buzz begins to swoop through the school. That small seed of anticipation is growing, ready to break out into a full bloom of excitement. Holidays are here! For some, these precious few weeks are everything we ever needed in life, filled with friends, family and fun. For others, July might not be as fun and in actual fact, long holidays are a daunting and lonely experience for many.
What’s next on our social calendar? What should I wear today? Who should I hang out with? With holidays comes decisions: decisions on what to wear, on what to eat, on what to do - the decisions are endless. But what we tend to ignore is what those decisions cost us after all the fun of the holidays. There is nothing worse than waking up on that Sunday and feeling that unsatisfied and somber knot in your stomach. BUT there are many ways to stop that feeling from making an appearance. I like to think of the word ARCS - yes, absolutely not relatable in any way to holidays, but it is something that gets me through and always leaves me in a bubble of happiness. A - Awareness. Be aware of those around you during your holidays. Make that extra effort to invite a friend that you haven’t seen much for lunch or check up to see how she’s doing. Many people get very lonely during the holidays and a small token of appreciation is guaranteed to brighten up not only your day, but hers too. R - Responsibility. Yes, holidays are meant for fun and we are allowed to let loose but remember to treat not only yourself but others around you in the right way. Actions do have consequences and being safer rather than sorry is a must. C- Create your own adventures. Holidays are a time for adventuring and taking different journeys. Don’t wait around for someone to invite you somewhere, rather organise a get together. Try different things like visiting art galleries or star gazing - all these experiences make for amazing stories when coming back to school. S - Stay true to yourself. Peer pressure is potent during times like the holidays. It is important to remember who you are as a person and your values before doing anything. Stay true to what you believe in and never let anyone tell you otherwise. Jessica StephensHead Girl, Matric peer guide and much more “Mirror, mirror, on the wall... Who is the fairest of them all?” Whilst this famous line is taken from a fairytale, a story full of magic and fantasy, it got me thinking about a very real issues in society today: the way in which we often compare ourselves to others.
“She always gets full marks! No matter how hard I work, I’ll never be as smart as her.” “Everyone loves him - he has so many friends. It must be nice to be so popular.” “She’s so stunning and she has the nicest outfits ever. I wish I looked like her.” This is something we are all guilty of from time to time. After all, it's only natural to take note of the differences between ourselves and others - however, when we start to devalue ourselves because of these comparisons, it can be extremely damaging. Whether we are comparing our fashion sense, the way we look, the amount of friends we have or our abilities, it's important to remember that we are all unique. As individuals, we need to acknowledge our own self-worth before we get so caught up in admiring other people’s lives that we forget to enjoy our own. These type of comparisons can lead to jealousy, dissatisfaction with oneself or the feeling that you just aren’t good enough. In Snow White, the princess’s stepmother is extremely disappointed to discover that she is not the most beautiful maiden in the land. The queen’s own insecurities lead to a feeling of extreme jealousy - something that could have been avoided if she had learned to accept who she was instead of constantly comparing her beauty to the beauty of those around her. And in reality, sometimes the glass making up our mirrors is obscured. We are often exposed to images of supermodels or celebrities that may not accurately represent reality. Magazines, advertising companies and social media are often guilty of manipulating images to make their subjects fit into the box labelled by society as “desirable” - even if this means they have to make bodies look skinnier, hair look shinier, teeth look whiter or skin look smoother. And consequently, we end up comparing ourselves to made-up figures rather than real-life people. We end up comparing ourselves to the impossible. Of course, it's okay to have role models - there’s nothing wrong with a little inspiration! But we can’t forget to love who we are at the same time! And while it’s alright to aspire to be like somebody else, we shouldn’t try to become somebody else. If you admire somebody because they are extremely kind, healthy, intelligent or successful, nobody is stopping you from working hard to achieve those things. But we have to be careful not to sacrifice our own qualities - the things that make us special and the things people admire about us - along the way. We need to embrace who we are and celebrate our differences! Perhaps instead of having the attitude of Snow White’s stepmother, we need to wake up each day with a smile on our faces, look in the mirror and say: “You. Yes you! You’re the fairest of them all!” By Amy ArendseMatric learner, Peer guide “the greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another” At the beginning of the year Lara Harris gave the matric’s the advice to “Care Less”. I feel that we can all take something from this. What is important to know is that there is a difference between caring less and being careless. The one is to not care about the minimal things in life whereas the latter is to just be reckless; the former is what is important. They say call it the 5 by 5 rule - if it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t spend more than 5 minutes worrying about it. That detention you got for getting 5 demerits, will it matter in 5 years time? Think to yourself, is it worth worrying over it for the rest of the day? Accept the consequence and move on; high school is tough enough, be selective over what you care about. Reflecting back on our matric dance - it got me to think about this. Matrics, all those hours we spent looking for the right shoe, the right accessories or the right hairstyle you’d like for the matric dance, what does it all matter now? Yes, we had a magical evening but was it worth everything it put you through? We live in a world where we live for the now and care too much about materialistic things that are of no importance. Who cares if your nail-polish chipped? Who cares if your hair goes curly in the rain? It is not the end of the world if your boyfriend doesn’t reply to your texts immediately. In today’s society we are all stressed; over big things, small things, ALL THINGS. So why not take some of that off of our chest? Take a breather from your busy life, sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. Get some sleep, take a nap or go to bed earlier. Most importantly, focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t. A way to do that it to just care less, we can turn that care less into a stress less. I know it is easier said than done but it all starts with one change of mindset which leads into multiple changes. This month I’ll be challenging myself to live by the 5 by 5 rule. Will you? Tamia MorganGrade 12, Peer Guide We often don't catch ourselves getting easily caught up in our circles (be it family or friends), where naturally, similar opinions and behaviours are allowed to manifest. This is not necessarily all-bad but can certainly be pertained to our exclusion of things that do not form part of what is deemed "the norm" within our circles. This can be seen in the many issues that have arisen from Wynberg's Transformation process as well in our private lives. In light of the upcoming Anti-Bullying Week (May 8-May 13), the WGHS Peer Guides thus promote the need for our understanding and inclusion of one another, and mostly, the importance of recognising the power within ourselves to stand up and take control of situations that aim to victimise us.
As cliché as it may sound to say, "understand and include," these are the fundamentals of humane interaction between people, and are things most of us still cannot do. This is the reason human rights movements, such as Feminism, have become intersectional. Understanding others can only go so far as we all view things from our own perspectives; perspectives which have been shaped by our personal experiences. Listening not to respond but simply to engage with the opposing perspective can put us in the shoes of others so that when we do hear the opposing perspective, instead of saying, "You are overreacting," we will say, "I admit that I don’t fully understand what has led to you display these feelings. Please help me to reach a level of understanding." The inclusion of others comes with the mindful unpacking of prejudice and judgement so that we can unlearn what we have deemed acceptable within our circles. Unfortunately in many cases, our preconceptions – which are not necessarily intended to be offensive – are so widely accepted that the lines between right and wrong are blurred. Look out for the "they" statements, for example, "They look so weird though." Inclusion is the simple acknowledgement of a homeless man as he begins to tell you his life story or asks for donations at the robot. All this takes is a, "Good afternoon Sir. I'm sorry. I really cannot help you today." After all, he is human too. The fact that so many of us are unable to practice these fundamentals is what leads to issues such as bullying, and matters on an even larger scale such as genocides, when lack of understanding and inclusion are allowed to manifest. While many of us are responsible for not practicing the abovementioned fundamentals, the chances of us being put in situations where we are not understood or included are also high, and even these can occur within the circles we know and love. In these cases it is just as vital to be able to realise when we are not being recognised in the way that we deserve. If someone does not understand, or worse, does not want to, the mere announcement of our feelings will force within the individual an awakening. In cases of exclusion, which often leads to bullying as the bully feels enough power to continue hurt others, we need to know that as fellow human beings, we deserve respect and acknowledgement. Taking power from those who exclude us does not have to be approaching them, but can be simply ignoring that bully, gaining newfound confidence, or realising that it might not be that worth it to be part of a clique if that is how they treat people. At the same time, taking back your power can be finally speaking to someone about how you feel. We can only feel a certain way because of external factors if we allow external factors to make us feel that way. As easy as it may be to fall in the trap of forgetting what happens outside of our circles, we should never underestimate the significance of taking a step back to do some personal reflecting on our thoughts, actions and opinions without the influence of our friends and family. Saying what we mean, meaning what we say, and understanding whether or not this infringes on the dignity of others while still recognising when we ourselves are being victimised is what embodies the respect of one another's humanity. We need to catch ourselves even before verging on non-understanding, exclusionary tendencies. Paige SealeGrade 12, WGHS learner, Peer Guide “Be strong enough to stand alone, Smart enough to know when you need help, And brave enough to ask for it. If you've ever shied from asking for help because of fear that you may seem weak, you aren't alone. It's a sad irony that it's during the times we most need to ask for help that most people are reticent in doing so.
The peer guide project for this term will be Confession Wednesday.
Confession Wednesday is designed to encourage girls who may not initially feel comfortable to approach the peer guides or counselling staff to begin sharing what they have been going through. Often when we keep things to ourselves they tend to escalate really quickly in our minds and we are only able to see the worst case scenario. Writing worries down will be a powerful first step, and it is our hope that the learners of Wynberg will start sharing more, so that we can support them through their struggles. We would like to encourage all WGHS girls to write down short confessions and put them into the box. The confessions can be about something that you are currently experiencing, something you regret doing, or anything that is currently bothering you. Please note that ‘confession’ is not meant in a negative sense, but rather a opportunity to put into writing what is on your mind and heart. The confessions will be completely anonymous and confidential. Peer guides and counselling staff will treat these confessions with the respect that they deserve. Confession Wednesday will run Wednesday, the 1st of February, and then again next week the 8th of February. Any questions can be sent to [email protected]. Thank you. |
Peer GuidesGrade 11 and 12 learners trained by the counselling department in basic peer counselling Archives
February 2019
Categories |