by Mrs. Olga Mussington-Service, M.S.Head Student Support Services DivisionMinistry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport “These are stressful times” is a statement that I have heard so many people say. … Read more
Editorial: Let’s Play!
HURRYcane Run!
A game that teaches hurricane preparedness through play HURRYcane Run has arrived, a recently released board game that combines fun and valuable knowledge about hurricane preparedness and safety. Created by … Read more
How to build a child’s self-esteem
Jina Mahbubani is the school counsellor at Prins Willem Alexander School, a special needs school in Sint Maarten. She provides counselling and other activities to assist students’ social and emotional … Read more
Challenging Children to Build Confidence
“You think young children might not know the word ‘rape’, but they have brought it up during class.” Twelve years ago, Melissa Bardfield began teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She teaches children, from five … Read more
In the Spotlight: School Safety Team Members
The School Safety and Emergency Teams (SET) within Primary and Secondary Schools in Sint Maarten, continue to play an essential role in creating safer and more disaster-resilient schools. They play … Read more
How play can help children process stress & trauma
Play is defined as activities that appear to be freely sought and pursued only for individual or group enjoyment. Play is children’s work; it is how they learn and develop. … Read more
Advice from Teens: How To Talk To Teens
Traumatic experiences such as accidents, violence, loss of a loved one, or experiencing a disaster such as a hurricane – can deeply affect teenagers. Discussing these difficult experiences with teenagers … Read more
Understanding the coping behaviours of children
“If we want children and adults to cope positively with trauma or difficult situations, we must become a society that focuses on the overall wellbeing of our population.” – Drs. … Read more
Fourteen and diagnosed with extreme social anxiety
By Laura Bijnsdorp*Names are changed to protect the privacy of the individuals interviewed. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. Feeling anxious about certain events is … Read more
Rapid support for children who witness violence
How can teachers be informed so that they can better support children in need? The answer is simple: by letting the school know, without giving details about the case. Marga … Read more