At Perth’s Gwynne Park Primary School, students and staff are learning about mindfulness and gratitude in a heart-warming and inspiring way.
In 2017, the school introduced a range of mindfulness activities with the aim of supporting students both in and outside the classroom, and to help bridge the gap between emotional and academic learning.
The activities included whole school assembly meditation for parents and in-class meditations for staff and students throughout the day for brain breaks, as well as scheduled time after lunch for the whole school.
Last year, the school expanded on this initiative by creating a dedicated mindfulness garden for students to reflect, sit, and be present.
The spark for this further growth was made possible through the support of Dulux and Smiling Mind, which ran a competition last year for 15 schools to win a Smiling Mind Spaces makeover valued at $5,000 in paint, workshops, colour consultations and vouchers to support styling and accessories to help bring the space to life.
Today, the outdoor garden space – a collective effort by all of the school’s students, staff and community members – is being used to build resilience, mindfulness and gratitude.
Overseeing all of this was the school’s much loved art teacher, mindfulness meditation champion, and leader, Jacqueline Kukulj. Sadly, she passed prior to the garden’s completion.
Keeping a beautiful legacy alive and flourishing
Julie Bolingbroke, principal of Gwynne Park Primary, says the school’s community hope to continue Kukulj’s legacy of being still, being quiet and being mindful.
“Ms Jacqueline Kukulj was one of a kind, the light and soul of our school. Her smile would light up the room and her energy would keep you feeling inspired all day,” Bolingbroke told The Educator.
“She had the ability to make every single child feel special. She would often be late for her next class as she didn't want to stop what she was doing with her students as she was always deeply involved in the lesson.”
Bolingbroke said Kukulj was “good at anything she set her mind to”.
“Her passion for all her projects were always passed on to others as she would always make everyone involved in the decisions and even call the teachers in to help choose the winners of her art competitions,” Bolingbroke said.
“Ms Kukulj’s inspirational meditations at assemblies, her guitar playing, her Tibetan bowl playing and her beautiful artwork in our mediations room are just some of things that she brought to our whole school approach.”
Bolingbroke said the school’s new Mindful Meditation garden is for Ms Kukulj and “aims to signify her incredible passion for mindfulness and the impact she has made on the school, community and students’ lives.”
“We wanted to create a space that our students could go to be still, be quiet and be mindful, just like what Ms Kukulj used to say to the students before meditation,” she said.
“We were very lucky to be the winners of the Smiling Mind Spaces competition and have Dulux assist us in making this happen. This would not have been made possible without their help.”
Bolingbroke said that since its inception, the garden has become a whole school and community project along with Smiling Minds and Dulux.
“Our staff planted the plants and laid the pavers, our parents helped paint the pavers and donated plants, our students and staff completed the murals,” she said.
“Ms Angie De Larie worked with the Dulux consultant to choose the vibrant colours for the mural and coordinate the designs. The garden captures all the beautiful memories of Ms Kukulj and we hope when the students step in the garden it reminds them of, all the things Ms Kukulj taught them, especially mindfulness.”
Bolingbroke said the garden is “truly a magical place” that makes anyone who sits in it calm, mindful, and peaceful.
“Most importantly, it makes everyone grateful, just what Ms Kukulj would have loved.”
‘A safe, calming place for troubled students’
Trudy Lague, a Year 3 Teacher at the school, said it has become common practise in schools to not only focus on academic learning but also increasingly on children’s social and emotional development.
“Schools have always prioritised the cognitive development of students but in this ever-changing world, a far greater emphasis must be placed on developing the “whole child”, after all, children are multi-dimensional,” Lague said.
“Social and emotional learning provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances children’s ability to succeed in school and life.”
Lague pointed to research that shows such a focus not only improves achievement levels but increases positive emotions, attitudes and behaviours towards others such as empathy and kindness.
“Such character traits can help to reduce stress amongst our children, so they lead happy, productive lives,” she said.
“Our Mindful Meditation Garden is small, tranquil sanctuary for children and staff to sit, gather their thoughts and reflect on school and their daily lives. At recess and lunch, I watch friends chatting and enjoying each other’s company.”
Lague said the Garden is “a safe, calming place the school can offer troubled students who just need some down tome to think things through”.
“Every time I walk my class past the garden on our way to other lessons, the children never fail to comment on the beauty of the flowers or the colourful mandala which surround it.”
‘Supporting young people’s growth more important than never’
Dulux Colour & Communications Manager, Andrea Lucena-Orr, said that after two tumultuous years, supporting the growth and development of young Australians is now more important than ever.
“The availability of resources, such as the Smiling Mind Spaces Toolkit, will continue to support thousands of school leaders in creating spaces in schools to help students implement and habitualise mindfulness practices in their daily education,” Lucena-Orr told The Educator.
“The Toolkit has been carefully curated by Dulux colour experts and Smiling Mind’s team of psychologists to ensure each palette addresses key areas of emotional and social development needed for overall wellbeing.”
Smiling Mind CEO and Clinical Psychologist, Dr Addie Wootten, said that as students and teachers begin to return to a more usual school routine, the organisation is hearing from school leaders, teachers and parents that children continue to experience a range of challenges.
“These include high levels of anxiety and difficulty adjusting back into the school environment,” Dr Wootten told The Educator.
“The opportunity that Smiling Mind Spaces provides both students and teachers to create a safe, calm and supportive environment for students to manage these challenging feelings is so important and we're hearing from many schools that the Smiling Mind Spaces are helping students as they return to school.”
Keeping a beautiful light shining bright
Year 6 students Divine, Prabha and Temanea, say the garden makes them feel calm and thoughtful.
“We love the flowers; it reminds us of Ms Kukulj as she loved flowers. We loved how she would always tell us to touch the lavender and rosemary,” they told The Educator.
“It is so peaceful; it makes us breathe and it reminds us of Ms Kukulj. We really love jumping through the path each day and saying the quotes Ms Kukulj would say to us. We don’t feel sad now as we can still feel Ms kukulj in our hearts and we have to keep doing meditation for her.”
Divine, Prabha and Temanea said they particularly like the bright colours and that their favourite murals reminds them to be grateful for the garden.
“Ms Kukulj always told us to be kind and grateful. We need to keep this up for her.”