Kaleidoscope: Bereavement Support for those living with significant loss or anticipatory grief.
A scene, situation, or experience that keeps changing and has many different aspects.
A collection of butterflies - the butterfly is a symbol of hope and new life – change and transformation.
Pope Benedict XVI
Life is hard enough as a teenager let alone when you’ve lost a loved one.
Simple tasks you did before such as getting up, eating, doing homework and going to school can be a lot harder for many. If you’ve lost a loved one, you may feel that you can’t talk to a close relative or friend about this for fear of upsetting them.
At Notre Dame we recognise the impact of a significant loss. Everyone’s grief is different and the support each student needs is unique to their own grief.
The name Kaleidoscope reflects the journey that we may experience following a significant loss, similar to a caterpillar, alone and cocooned in darkness transforming into a butterfly equipped to cope with an unfamiliar way of life; it is a journey of hope. Through Kaleidoscope we support our students to learn how to live with their loss.
Kaleidoscope provides a range of support including group sessions or 1:1 support. Having a group of different people, all at different stages in their grief journey, to talk to can show you that you are not alone. Things that are worrying you that you may think are strange, really aren’t and you’ll find that many people are feeling or have felt the same way as you. Through different activities Kaleidoscope supports our students to find ways of growing around their loss, remembering loved ones and finding ways of feeling connected to them.
By Annabel
Visionary – in darkness Kaleidoscope offers hope
Sacramental – the sacramental nature of the human person – ‘ I came so that you can have life and have it in abundance’ – Kaleidoscope can help our bereaved students begin to emerge from the pain of grief and loss and feel they can start to live life again
Relational – helping students to adjust to monumental changes within their families
Transformational – helping students to cope with their grief and learn how to live with it
Reaching Out You are not alone
Listening Trying to make sense of grief
Caring Finding ways to face the future
Hope Life after loss, Continuing bonds – remembering and honouring
Our Kaleidoscope group is proud to have been the first school in the country to be awarded the Compassionate School Award for our support of students who have suffered a significant bereavement. Working in partnership with St Luke’s Hospice we continue to support those members of our community who are living with loss.
Contact:
Mrs A Morrison – kaleidoscope@ndonline.org
