Head’s Blog: Feeling Safe and Secure and Matthews Hall 

Each morning at Matthews Hall, I stand in the area of the back entrance and welcome students as they start their day. Rarely am I away from this post. As the year has progressed, patterns of behaviour, timing, and the inevitable development of safety and security have been seen. 

This is most noticeable with our youngest students and is a key component of their learning journey. At the onset of the year, a young primary student approaches the entrance to the school with a smile born of nervous excitement. They are still close to their parents who wait at the edge of the parking lot, and do not want stray too far. When the door opens, they turn back for a wave and unspoken reassurance that they are safe and secure in this space. As they continue down the hall, they look for periodic eye contact from familiar faces while also looking about and seeing all that is interesting and exciting to them. These are the progressions of feeling safe and secure and Matthews Hall. 

Over the last months, I have seen changes in how they approach each day. They come to the door with a growing confidence that comes from feeling safe, and that allows them to open the door and enter with diminished hesitation. They still look back to secure a final connection, although they have evolved to owning their morning walk to the classroom.   

As time progresses, they enter knowing they will be greeted by the Matthews Hall staff and faculty that they have come to trust as a meaningful part of the day. This trust that breeds a feeling of safety and security is the early cornerstone of our culture. It is the creation of an impactful learning relationship, and provides the foundation upon which growth and development can be achieved.

We know our students, recognize them for who they are and how they are growing, and provide the atmosphere for them to confidently explore what learning looks like to them. From developing trust that leads to feeling safe and secure, Matthews Hall is keenly aware that at these stages, weaving together wellness and achievement are important to establishing the confidence that allows learning to take hold.

Until next time, stay well. 

Christopher White, Head of School