Get GRIT Program

It was such a pleasure meeting the wonderful staff at St Luke’s Anglican School in Bundaberg yesterday.

I was very excited to introduce the Get GRIT Program to their team and support their continued commitment to student wellbeing, resilience, emotional intelligence, and positive relationships.

Thank you for your warmth, engagement, and passion for helping young people thrive. I look forward to continuing to work with you to support and strengthen student wellbeing.

I also look forward to returning to Turtle Sands with my family next season to hopefully witness the incredible turtle hatchlings making their way to the ocean 🐢

Helping Kids Navigate Friendship Ups and Downs

In our latest blog, we explore what is really happening beneath friendship “fallouts” and how parents can best support children through these moments with confidence and resilience.

Friendship challenges are a normal part of childhood, but they can often feel significant in the moment. Rather than stepping in to fix every situation, parents have an opportunity to guide children as they learn how to work through these experiences themselves.

These moments are important opportunities for building key social and emotional skills, including emotional awareness, perspective-taking, communication, and relationship repair.

Read the full blog here

Helping Kids Navigate Friendship Ups and Downs Friendship challenges are a normal part of childhood, but they can often feel bigger than they really are. What looks like a “fallout” is usually children trying to navigate strong feelings and work through a situation as best they can, while their social and emotional skills are still developin...

🌟 Get GRIT Program – Co-Curricular Sessions with Kylie from Kind Kids Therapy 🌟

Kylie from Kind Kids Therapy has opened bookings for the Get GRIT Program for Term 2 as a co-curricular wellbeing opportunity for students. 💛🧠

Through engaging, evidence-informed sessions, students develop resilience, emotional intelligence, and positive thinking strategies that help them thrive both in and out of the classroom.

These small group sessions provide a safe space for children to grow in confidence, manage challenges, and strengthen their wellbeing skills.

✨ Limited places available – contact Kylie to find out more or secure a spot for Term 2.

Get GRIT Program - Brisbane North 📍 Venue: 23 Bowman Street, Hendra (OLHC School) 🗓 Dates: Sunday 17th May, 24th May, 31st May, 7th June 9 AM -11 AM (4 sessions) 💰 Cost: $625

📱 Reminder for Parents – Download the Get GRIT Program Parent Engagement App 💛🌱

The Parent Engagement App, available on the App Store and Google Play, is designed to strengthen the connection between home 🏡 and school 🏫.

Each week, parents are invited to listen to a short 2-minute podcast 🎧 that supports what students are learning in the Get GRIT Program. This simple routine helps reinforce key concepts and builds a shared language between home and school.

By engaging with the podcast, families can deepen their understanding of what their child is learning and create meaningful conversations 💬 at home.

This connection not only supports learning, but also contributes to strengthening children’s mental health and wellbeing 💛.

We encourage all families to download the app and make the most of this simple way to stay connected and support your child’s learning journey 🌱✨

Term 2 in Get GRIT 🧠🌱

This term in the Get GRIT Program, students are excited to begin the Resilient Thinking Unit.

This unit sits at the heart of developing emotionally strong, adaptable learners. It teaches students the skills to persevere in the face of setbacks, challenges, and everyday frustrations—helping them become more resilient, optimistic, and able to approach difficulties with a flexible and positive mindset.

At its core, Resilient Thinking supports students to develop emotional resilience—the ability to cope mentally and emotionally with both major life stressors and the everyday ups and downs of life.

A key focus of this unit is helping children become aware of their internal dialogue—the thoughts they have about themselves, others, and situations. When students learn to notice and understand their thinking patterns, they are far better equipped to manage disappointment, regulate emotions, and respond to challenges in healthy and constructive ways.

💡 What students will learn

Throughout the Resilient Thinking Unit, students are explicitly taught how to:

* Identify and understand their thoughts and thinking patterns.
* Recognise unhelpful “stop thoughts” and helpful “go thoughts.”
* Identify common thinking traps.
* Catch, check, challenge, and change unhelpful thoughts.
* Develop resilient and optimistic thinking habits.
* Persevere through frustration and setbacks.
* Bounce back after adversity.

🌈 What is Resilient Thinking?

In the Get GRIT Program, Resilient Thinking is defined as:

A way of thinking that reduces stress, anxiety, and negativity. A resilient thinker plans, persists, takes healthy risks, and makes better decisions. They develop the mental strength to cope with adversity, setbacks, and frustrations, while building optimism and grit.

Children who develop resilient thinking skills become more:
🌱 curious
🌱 adaptable
🌱 confident
🌱 brave
🌱 and willing to extend themselves into the world

🧠 The science behind it

Resilient Thinking is grounded in evidence-based strategies from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). Students learn that thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are all connected—and that the way we interpret situations can significantly influence how we feel and respond.

They also begin to understand that different people can experience the same situation in different ways, strengthening empathy and perspective-taking.

💛 Why it matters

Resilient thinking is not just a classroom skill—it is a lifelong skill.

It helps young people manage stress, reduce anxiety, and develop a more positive outlook on life. Most importantly, it equips them with the tools to navigate the complexities of the 21st century with strength and confidence.

In fact, developing resilient thinking may be one of the most important skills we can teach young people as they grow, learn, and face an ever-changing world.