Last week, I visited Sydney Children’s Hospital with Darcy for his final check-up with the doctor who saved his life. Walking through those doors brought back intense memories of the two years we lived there during his treatment.
Mia switched schools to be closer, doing her homework by Darcy’s bed. Hugh transferred jobs to stay with us and share the care. The hospital became an uncomfortable second home, and we were reluctant inhabitants.
Even now, the smell of the place punches. Every corridor pulls up a selection of painful memories. Seeing doctors triggers dread. The body remembers and reruns every sensation before the brain can reassure. Even writing about it is reactivating.
It took me a long time to see my trauma as an over-caring relative, stepping in swiftly but inopportunely to keep me safe. I’ve learned to be simultaneously wounded and grateful for its presence. That’s a good thing because it’s with me all the time.
I’ve witnessed the effects of trauma firsthand through my family’s experience. We see the kids we support at MissingSchool carrying their experiences with them, too, like a backpack, in school and away. Trauma is unavoidably a heart-on-sleeve thing.
Trauma means we never “get over it”. “It” being the cause/s. But we can learn to carry “it” (the cause/s) more lightly and become bigger because of “it” (the trauma). This is why trauma-informed practice in schools is so astonishingly important.
I’m glad trauma-informed practice is taking hold and that today’s newsletter talks about it. What it means, and what it does. I can’t say I hope you’ll enjoy it, but I do hope it helps.
We close out by celebrating Pride Month and daily wins in the fight for equality. We also shamelessly plug the EOFY giving moment if you’d care to donate to MissingSchool to keep learning alive from anywhere.
“Children and young people are our best hope for creating a better and more peaceful world. Let us be better and do more for them in 2024 and beyond.” ~ Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director
Get Trauma-Informed
We’re hearing a lot about trauma-informed practice in schools, but what does it mean? Trauma-informed schools adopt a strengths-based approach to create a safe and healing environment. Staff focus on empowerment by integrating knowledge about the effects of trauma into their policies, procedures, and practices. Schools prioritise the physical, psychological, and emotional safety of both students and staff, to minimise re-traumatisation. Get resources here and here. LEARN MORE
Trauma Lingers Longer
While post-COVID awareness of trauma in the broader student population is increasing, the trauma faced by students with personal health crises remains largely unacknowledged. Similarly overlooked is the trauma caused by ongoing isolation from school, which can increase anxiety and avoidance of school. MissingSchool’s world-class dataset reveals the distressing side effects of school separation, like disruptions to friendships, and falling behind with learning, that worsen medical trauma by increasing anxiety. So what works? START HERE
Pride Everyday
Can you believe it’s Pride Month already? It’s a great time to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community’s history and achievements in the fight for equality. While there’s a long way to go, it offers a watershed reflection on what’s possible through persistence. It reminds us of the LGBTQIA+ kids in our Seen&Heard service who are learning from anywhere, taking their place in their community. Self-care and self-worth are revolutionary acts of courage. And compassion can certainly cause change. CHECK IT OUT
Education First-Aid
We’re determined to make a difference, and we need your help! As the financial year draws closer to a close, support MissingSchool – through your tax deductible donation – to provide education and social first-aid to kids with complex attendance and health challenges. Every dollar helps fund essential services like our Helpline. Your contribution, big or small, brings us closer to a world where learning from anywhere is universal. Can we do this together? GET GIVING
At MissingSchool, we believe in the power of community. Together, we can create environments where every child feels like they belong.
It would be impossible for us to stay the course without your incredible support. There are many ways to help:
- follow along and cheer us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
- share this newsletter with your family, friends, or colleagues so we can support more kids, and
- donate towards getting kids with complex conditions back into their classroom.
Every action moves us closer to the finish line: a world where every child is seen and heard at school. Where ‘learn from anywhere’ is universal.
Let’s keep connecting,
Megan
CEO & Cofounder
