The Power of “Thank You”
There is an increasing body of research that shows acts of gratitude have measurable effects on our health and wellbeing. To the extent that expressing thanks to another can reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety, it can improve sleep and lower blood pressure.
A recent study from Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health is making the claim that they have empirical evidence showing expressing gratitude can increase lifespan or rather has a protective effect in regards to causes of mortality.
It appears that the effects of saying thank you may stretch beyond the person saying thank you and the person receiving that thanks, to those that witness the act. Sara Algoe of the University of North Carolina research shows that witnessing others showing gratitude fosters a sense of connection and cooperation within groups, that individuals felt a greater desire to connect socially with both the grateful individual and the benefactor. If these acts inspire kindness and cohesion then they most definitely have value in a workplace, a community organisation and in schools.
This week I set our KS2 pupils the mission of saying “thank you” to people in their lives and expressing the reason for their thanks. Our school Values of Virtue, Learning and Manners have been in place for over 400 years and are still as relevant today as they were in 1622 when they were set out. As a community we believe in caring for each other through our words and our deeds and thus showing our appreciation for others is core to that.
This leads us on to our Harvest Festival next week which centres on the act of giving thanks for the abundance of life. As the leaves begin to turn from green to orange and the dusk sets in a little earlier, we are reminded to enjoy the changing of the seasons and the cycles of life that depend upon it.
The theme for this year’s Black History Month is Reclaiming Narratives and as a community we are always looking for opportunities to celebrate different voices and points of views. On Thursday the School held an art exhibition in Warley HQ showcasing over 80 pieces of student and staff art as well as a dance pieces choreographed by our Ceramics Technician Mary Davies who is not only a skilled ceramics artist but also a talented choreographer having recently been the artistic director for performance companies Encore East, Dance Unlimited and the Max and Wayne Dance Theatre. Mary’s dance outlook is one deeply rooted in the idea of community and inclusivity. On Monday, we will launch our Family Narratives project with the pupils and ask them to find out a family story, it could be current or from generations past down, and to bring their story into school to share with their class. Throughout the year we champion how the diversity of our community, both in school and beyond, enriches our lives and our experiences. For our Prep age pupils their understanding of the world is to embrace all peoples and to be curious and to seek out an understanding of different perspectives. Which is why I am delighted that my first Head of Prep Award goes to Mayomikun in Year 3 for her essay on communicating with a deaf person.
Wishing you a lovely autumnal weekend,
Alice Goodfellow
