Standing Together 19
Arogya Reddy Peddire Principal, Ambassador School, Sharjah
When having conversations about what is happening with children, Parents should explain the causes, reasons, implications, and impacts of the issue after paying attentive listening to their children rather than just dismissing the concern. We have been supporting our community through regular online services, including counselling sessions for the CBSE Board Examinations students. Assisting parents who need help. Staff wellbeing sessions through communication tree channels across different phases. It has been important to prioritise communication. Sharing news and updates from official websites, news agencies, embassies, and regulatory bodies.
Ben Rothwell Principal, Victory Heights Primary School, City of Arabia, Dubai
Recognising too that staff were carrying their own fears, we supported them, giving them a safe space to talk, as well as assigning members of the leadership team to check in regularly with our colleagues. We are also quite clear to protect staff’s holiday, recognising the ability to work remotely should the situation develop, as it has now done. We developed an in-house app (which we then shared with the wider community) called Whereabouts, which let us track both staff and students’ locations, allowing us to tailor our support accordingly. In week 1, we had daily Zoom connections with all students, and as the principal, I sent regular updates to the community. We also held two live online assemblies that reinforced our school values in a fun way and gave some breathing space away from the challenges we all faced. From day one, it has been our number one priority across all parts of the organisation. Giving children dedicated connectivity so they can remain in touch with their teachers and peers and providing a calm and safe space to discuss fears about the ongoing situation. We held a CPD across all staff to enhance their ability to support this.
The challenges we faced as a community during COVID-19 showed us that if we come together, we can come back stronger.
When talking to children, I think it’s important to recognise the situation and its seriousness, whilst also ensuring that you reinforce that adults are doing everything in their power to protect them and reminding them of how successful the UAE has been at that.
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