NGĀ KŌRERO

I have never been a great fan of the scarf. This personal dislike goes back to the early 1980s, when my nana had good intentions of knitting me a scarf, with those bold, bright colours in the pattern. She knitted all seven grandchildren one, including a jersey each. They were knitted in chronological order of age. I was third in line-my brother first, then my female cousin. My jersey was very David Bain-like, I must say. You get the picture? Knitting was the thing to do and m

My ADHD diagnosis was the most useful label I ever received. I was staring down the barrel of middle age, and suddenly my entire life was put into a fresh perspective. The challenge with deadlines, perpetual overwhelm, the dance between what I now know to be hyperfocus and paralysis. It reframed decades of internalised narratives. As a child, I had grown accustomed to different labels: lazy , unmotivated , not applying herself . Over time, those words stop feeling like someon

I don’t know about you, but this year started at a ‘run’ and shows no sign of slowing down! As RTLB we are trying to come to grips with new Operating Standards and Procedures as well as supporting our teachers to implement not one, BUT two new curriculums. RTLB navigating the contract changes to only accept cases from Year 2 as well! With the additional weather that the gods have decided to throw our way over ‘summer’ in Aotearoa! Our resilience is certainly being tested.  Ne

Aotearoa RTLB have been privileged to have Kathryn Wright, PhD candidate in rural mental health and community connection and accredited counsellor, to outline some of her findings from her recent PhD research. Kathryn's PhD explores how wellbeing, purpose, and social connection are shaped in small rural communities, through a mix of personal resilience, informal support networks, and the everyday realities of rural life. It examines the pressures created by distance, time sca