This final term of the school year is a time of transition and change for families. For many, this is also a time of uncertainty due to the current pandemic situation. As we continue through the last months of the academic year with distance learning, children and families at GWA are getting ready to transition to a new grade, move to another part of the school or pack it up and move to another country. During this time of transition, students begin to say their goodbyes and start to think about what it will be like in their new school. Many students and families have great friends who are preparing to leave, yet may not have the chance to properly say goodbye. The expat life can be thrilling and complicated at the same time as we experience change all around us. With that being said, a tool we use at GWA to help students facilitate these transitions is called R.A.F.T. The late David Pollock, an authority on third culture kids (TCKs), transitions, and internationally mobile families, prepared very helpful transition materials including this tool to help people transition well. The R.A.F.T. is a four-step process that entails the following:
- Reconciliation: Making the relationship with someone right again
- Affirmation: Letting those important and special people in your life know how much they mean to you
- Farewell: Saying goodbye to your home, friends and places
- Think Destination: Thinking and getting excited about the next location and opportunity
We can imagine that this is a time of many mixed emotions, in addition to the sadness of leaving friends and familiar places behind. Additionally, we also understand that preparing for this move under the current situation may not be straight forward.
The GWA Counseling Team would like to invite you to a special presentation highlighting the importance of transition on Wednesday, June 3 from 8:30-9:30. During this presentation, we will share tools and strategies to help prepare you and your family members before the upcoming transition to a new destination. We look forward to seeing you there.
Click here to join
Meeting ID: 897 7011 4034
Password: 8XJ6u8
For more information and resources on the transition process, please visit our Global Transition Resource Page.
Kind Regards,
The GWA Counseling Team
"In order to fly, you have to give up the ground that you are standing on".