Wellbeing Matters: Take Actions Before it’s too Late

Nowadays in our everyday discussions, the focus on effectively addressing health-related challenges is increasingly prominent. As children develop, they face a range of difficulties at various stages of their growth, including academic pressures, social dynamics, and personal issues. If these challenges are overlooked or inadequately addressed, there is a risk that children may navigate towards unproductive paths or make detrimental choices.

At DCSZ, we care about the wellbeing of each student. From DUCKS to Senior School, we have wellbeing teachers who provide support to our students and the community. This time, we invite Ms Daisy Wang, our Social Emotional Counsellor and University and Careers Counsellor, to share her insights with us. She will guide us into our wellbeing world, starting with each student (personal), then moving to peer groups, and finally to our community!

Ms Daisy Wang

Our role is to support and guide parents, fostering a collaborative effort between the school and parents to best assist our students.

Students encounter various emotional and wellbeing challenges as they grow. With the right guidance and support, we can mitigate these impacts and help them address their issues. At DCSZ, we prioritize every student’s wellbeing. We teach them how to recognize their emotions and how to address them.

If each student understands their emotions, they will know how to cope or at least whom to turn to for help.

When it comes to wellbeing, most students seek strong peer relationships. Throughout their learning journey, recognizing their own emotions and establishing healthy connections with peers is essential. 

At DCSZ, we work diligently to create a community built on love and trust, fostering a sense of belonging among students. When students feel trusted, they are more willing to share their thoughts and concerns with peers and teachers.

We also encourage mutual support among students. Because they often understand each other's issues better than teachers do, students can confide in their close friends. Sometimes, simply having someone to listen can alleviate emotional burdens or pressures. Students can also form groups based on their interests, such as basketball or music, to relieve stress and develop peer relationships.

At DCSZ, we have a cohesive and comprehensive wellbeing learning system for our students. For example, starting from DUCKS, we have the Be Kind project and animal representations, such as team ants, to help children gain a foundational understanding of mental health. In Junior School, we have mental health buddies who assist peers in recognizing their emotions and providing support. In Senior School, we have mental health warriors, who possess a deep understanding of wellbeing and are dedicated to helping their fellow students.

We also provide regular training and workshops for our staff and teachers focused on wellbeing. Additionally, we maintain an open-door policy for both online and offline meetings with students. We have implemented an emotion Ei Pulse that students can scan daily, allowing teachers to understand how they are feeling and provide the necessary support. When students feel valued, they trust us and are more willing to share their feelings.

For parents, we encourage active participation in school workshops to better understand how we teach students to address their wellbeing. Given our diverse student body, parents come from various cultural backgrounds, which influences their teaching philosophies. 

As social-emotional counsellors, we do not dictate how parents should approach these matters; rather, we provide tools and strategies to help them address and resolve concerns. We aim to help parents untangle the complexities and guide them in finding the right tools. Ultimately, parents are best positioned to choose the methods that suit their children’s needs, as everyone has different philosophies and cultural backgrounds. Our role is to support and guide parents, fostering a collaborative effort between the school and parents to best assist our students.

Thank you to Ms Daisy Wang for her valuable insights. It is crucial for all of us to protect and support children's wellbeing. At DCSZ, we believe that prioritizing student wellbeing is essential for building a thriving school community. We encourage parents, students, and teachers to collaborate in fostering an environment where everyone feels supported and valued.