NET Scheme News 2023 Spring issue 43

B u i l d i n g O p t i m i s m i n O u r S t u d e n t s We followed up on the Week of Hope with informal conversations to assess the impact. About one-third of our students participated. We noticed they could use positive affirmations to motivate themselves, and the strategies they talked about showed their resilience and perseverance. It was not all smooth sailing, however. As one visitor observed, she was touched by how little fuel we could run on, including few human and physical resources, and at times low engagement from the students. Yet she was amazed that we could still teach and sing with unbelievable passion, all because of the POWER of HOPE. Indeed, hope kept us going. For us, hope was about having the enthusiasm, passion, motivation, and determination to overcome difficulties and challenges. Ultimately, we wanted to make a difference in the lives of our students and let them develop happily and healthily with positive emotions. At the same time, we strived to serve as their role models. We worked as a team and used a growth mindset to affect the students so that they could act more positively themselves. The latter is one way to sustain theWeek of Hope’s impacts.What are the plans for the coming year? We will continue to use routines as a strategy, embedding feeling check-ins and growth-oriented feedback,and enhancing our students’ positive values and attitudes through scenarios. Maria Wong, NET, Po Yan Oblate Primary School 13 NET Scheme News Issue 432