Our health & wellbeing foundations
Biculturalism The essential elements of the Ma- ori sense of wellbeing are feeling connected to place, knowing your purpose and knowing your holistic self. In a traditional Ma- ori worldview, everything and everybody – the land, the people, the sky, the oceans, flora and fauna – are connected. Humans are spiritual beings and it is believed we walk in two dimensions, the spiritual and physical worlds. There are many different Atua (gods) or Kaitiaki (guardians) that we acknowledge, cherish and worship. The strong connection Ma- ori have to the environment and to people gives a sense of purpose and responsibility in the role of nurturer and carer for the environment and each other. Together this places huge importance on identity and its connection to wellbeing. Feeling strong and confident in one’s self, by being proud of your heritage, having an understanding of where you come from, your Whakapapa, family history and feeling connected, physically and spiritually to place, is essential to a Ma- ori sense of wellbeing. Wellbeing for Ma- ori is holistic. It is understanding we have a physical, spiritual, mental and social self that needs to be balanced both individually and collectively.
Christianity Jesus wants us to have life in all its fullness (John 10:10) – I came that they might have life and have it abundantly. Wellbeing in the Christian tradition (and the Jewish background underneath that) is best expressed in the word “shalom” ( שלום ) in the Hebrew Bible and “eire- ne- ” ( εἰρήνη ) in the Greek New Testament. These words, which occur about 350 times in the Bible, are often translated as “peace”. But that is quite a limiting translation. They far better express the concept of a biblical understanding of what we would now call “wellbeing”. Shalom-wellbeing is each person living in peace in all relationships – with God, with self, with others, and with nature. Shalom includes vigour and vitality in all the dimensions of our life. The Christian value of stewardship of all we are given includes stewardship of our own selves. You are called to love yourself. And you are called to love others in a similar way. Hence, service is also a fundamental of Christian wellbeing. The Anglican traditions of balance, moderation and acceptance of diversity dovetail well into this understanding. Anglicanism provides well-honed disciplines to help wellness to flourish in worship, in prayer and in how people relate to each other and their community.
Positive Psychology Developed since the late 1990s from the foundational work of Dr Martin Seligman, Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of life, love and social connections, work and play. Using the PERMA-V framework (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, achievement and vitality) and looking at the world through the lens of Positive Psychology can lead to improved health outcomes and a greater sense of wellbeing. Positive Education brings together the science of wellbeing (Positive Psychology) with best practice teaching to enable school communities to thrive. This approach has elements of defined curriculum combined with a sense of institutional culture that sees wellbeing as a high priority outcome for the school and its community of staff, students and families. The focus of Positive Education is to teach young people to develop lifelong skills and character attributes that support health and wellbeing for life. The principles of Positive Education are now part of all aspects of College life.
The Christ’s College wellbeing emblem was designed by Plato Creative in 2019, in consultation with College staff and College Counsellor Wiremu Gray, who is a Nga- i Tahu Artist. It represents the three foundations of wellbeing in the College community: Christianity, Biculturalism and Positive Psychology.
Made with FlippingBook Annual report