What's the Buzz?

What's the Buzz? is part of a global response stimulated by the positive psychology and positive education movements. The program precisely guides educators to teach young people new prosocial skills to develop emotional and social intelligence. How to:

• optimistically interpret human differences
•  improve social connections; greetings, exiting, social feedback and social referencing
• begin and maintain relationships and friendships
• identify and work with one's own emotions
• develop empathic 'mind-reading' capacities
• identify and constructively respond to behavioural dominance; put-downs, trash talk, bullying and cyberbullying and trolling
• self-regulate emotions more productively
• appreciate self-awareness and self-identity
• navigate tricky social situations more positively and resiliently

And while absorbed in this skill-building, it gives children the chance to grow steadier emotions and better behaviours.
Teaching social and emotional literacy, continuously, is a highly effective way to benefit our relationship with, and between, students. All human beings, no matter their age or circumstance, profit from being methodically taught social and emotional literacy skills and being in an environment where these are nurtured.
We now know that when young people are unable to attach to peers or feel isolated, they are more likely to be at risk from behavioural turbulence, mental health difficulties and have a greater tendency for future anti-social behaviour.

Program Structure:

What's the Buzz? for EARLY LEARNERS is a program to immerse younger students in a variety of essential interpersonal skills, stimulated by the experiences of a character called Archie. In each lesson, the children help Archie solve the very same social dilemmas that occur in their everyday lives. As they do this, through activity, discussion, role-play, games, puzzles and quizzes, they learn how-to express feelings and become a more positive problem solver.

What's the Buzz? for PRIMARY STUDENTS is a program to immerse primary students in a variety of lessons designed to build on to their social and emotional thinking. As they do this, through activity, discussion, role-play and quizzes, they’ll learn how to become a better friend and a more flexible social thinker.

What Can Parents Do To Support The Ideas Being Taught During What's the Buzz?

A parent's role is invaluable.
The program contains an integral section for parents -'After the Buzz, social thinking ideas for parents' and offers useful ideas that can be placed into practice at home to build on to the skills introduced in the program.
This section highlights the value of parental care, and that no one’s influence is as great on their children. It features what parents can say and do at home to support the quality of their child’s social thinking. It also draws attention to the value of parental modelling. What is most effective is for parents to keep the big picture in mind; it is the simple, day to day things we consistently say and do that makes the greatest difference for our children. Most parents understand that the development of social thinking within their son or daughter will take time, but the After the Buzz, social thinking ideas for parents provides them with a steadiness and motivation to work with new ideas and expectations.
These 'After the Buzz, social thinking ideas for parents' will be emailed to families each week after your child have participated in the What's the Buzz? Session.

Tom Atyeo
Wellbeing Coordinator