Let’s Talk #1: Understanding Life Skills

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Let’s Talk #1: Understanding Life Skills

Dear Parents, 
Unlike in other subjects, Life skills is that in which you are tested first and the learning happens next. In fact, Life Skills cannot even be seen as a subject. Every moment and every interaction is teaching us something and we are all learning all through our life. Life can test us in innumerable ways and it is our ability to adapt – resilience -that makes us stand apart as the most evolved being – the humans. 
June has always been a month we looked forward to when children could be received with all their vigor and joy after the summer. This June called upon all of us unprecedented challenges, yet we look at the positive fact that all our students are in the best place they could be at the moment; at home with the people who love them the most. Nothing we do remotely as teachers will substitute for the pure physical and intentional connection you make with them each day.
Hence, it is time we take a step back, and let you all know that until school reopens as before it is okay to let your children be. Now, more than ever, it is important to emphasize the importance of what we do as teachers, by sharing our knowledge. Any videos or activities shared are only guidelines for you to go through and not holding you to any mandatory deadlines. Follow the lead of your child. 
Let us understand that for the past couple of months, their biggest source of resilience building – real time peer group interaction and play has been cut or minimized drastically and abruptly. We must also acknowledge the fact that most children would have been privy to adult worries and conversations; to the multitude of news of the pandemic, about death and disease and more. All of this will take its toll on their mental health. This need not be always visible but something is brewing. To cope with this most of them would have hugely relied on screens for relaxation, entertainment and engagement. Hence, we will do our best to not add on to the same for education too.
 Your feedback will be most crucial. Please do reach out to any teacher and address any apprehensions you may have and we can together make an individualized plan based on the distinct needs of each student and family.  
Please go through the link for further understanding of life skills. The article speaks about 7 essential Life Skills: Focus and Self-Control, Perspective Taking, Communicating, Making Connections, Critical Thinking, Taking on Challenges, Self-Directed and Engaged Learning. https://bigthink.com/big-think-mentor/the-7-essential-life-skills
We will update more on Life Skill here every week. Thank you so much for being patient and kind with us as we navigate through these unpredictable times in all our lives.