PARENT WORKSHOP
Preparing for Meaningful Transitions: Leave Well to Enter Well!
The final months of the school year brings forth a time of transition and change. Whether it's a transition to a new grade, a new school, a new country, or whether it's saying goodbye to friends, everyone will be experiencing changes and transitions in one way or another. To help facilitate a healthy transition, we refer to a framework from the late David Pollock, who was an expert on concepts such as Third Culture Kids (TCKs), Transitions, and Internationally Mobile Families, known as R.A.F.T. This acronym, with a four-step process, entails the following:
Reconciliation: Making the relationship with someone right again
Affirmation: Letting those important and special people in your life know how much they have meant to you
Farewell: Saying goodbye to your home, school, special places and people
Think Destination: Thinking and getting excited about the place you're going next
Last October, we had special guest Christopher O'Shaughnessy speak to our parent community, students and staff about the strengths and challenges of transitions, especially as Third Culture Kids. His ideas and information are very relevant at this time of year in international schools. Helpful information from his parent handout can be found here.
Wednesday, May 31 at 8:00 a.m: Preparing for Meaningful Transitions: R.A.F.T - This coffee morning is aimed for families who are leaving Dubai or the U.A.E at the end of the academic year. This informative session will help families prepare for the emotional departure, helping to create a healthy closure for their children and family members and planting seeds for a healthy start in their new destination. Additionally, those families who have close friends leaving their community, may find this session helpful. The Fairgreen Counselling Team will be referring to the late David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken's transition process, known as Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewell and Think Ahead (R.A.F.T) to help guide the upcoming family transition. If you are interested in attending, please sign up here.