Pupils and staff at St Peter’s School have been marking Children’s Mental Health Week this week.
Pupils of all ages have been learning about ‘The Five Ways to Wellbeing’ and completing daily activities throughout the week.
Monday’s theme was ‘Notice’, which inspired the children to focus on the things around them and be present in the moment to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Children at St Peter’s 2-8 lay down and listened to Nimrod by Edward Elgar whilst pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 focused on the theme of ‘Notice’ for their weekly mindfulness sessions. St Peter’s 8-13 pupils also joined the live Children’s Mental Health Week assembly in their Mentor meetings.
Tuesday’s theme was ‘Connect’, which inspired pupils at St Peter’s 13-18 to create a kindness wall, decorated with kind notes on ways people can stay connected. Meanwhile, children at St Peter’s 2-8 made kindness jars which were handed out by our Wellbeing Champions to classes around the school. Each jar included a positive statement, such as “Kindness is spreading sunshine into people’s lives regardless of the weather.” J4 and J5 pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 also learnt about the importance of connecting with themselves, and completed a ‘My Best Self’ activity instead of Chapel.
For Wellbeing Wednesday, the theme was ‘Active’ and the Wellbeing Champions at St Peter’s 2-8 visited each class to lead an exercise activity called Super Mood Movers. The children learnt how to move mindfully and keep active, whilst pupils at St Peter’s 13-18 continued with their weekly Games programme including a host of sports activities on Wednesday afternoon.
Thursday’s theme encouraged the children to ‘Learn’. Every child at St Peter’s 2-8 learnt the poem ‘Kind Hearts are the Gardens’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and learnt how to sign it too. Children at St Peter’s 2-8 and pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 also took part in a special activity for Children’s Mental Health Week, drawing ‘Support Balloons’ with the names of people who have helped them learn and grow.
On Friday, the whole school enjoyed a non-uniform day to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week inspired by the theme ‘Give’. The children were encouraged to dress to express themselves and every year group at St Peter’s 8-13 wore a different colour of the rainbow, including green, yellow, red, blue and purple. Children at St Peter’s 2-8 raised money for their school charity The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, St Peter’s 8-13 raised money for the children’s mental health charity Place2Be, and St Peter’s 13-18 raised money for York Mind.
In addition to the daily themes, the children have been exploring mental health and wellbeing with a variety of other activities throughout the week. Each year group at St Peter’s 2-8 received a bag of books delivered by the Wellbeing Champions on Monday, which the teachers have been reading throughout the week. The books have been carefully selected and explore different aspects of mental health and wellbeing. The children have also been enjoying other wellbeing activities including yoga, relaxation and even a foot spa!
Pupil ambassadors at St Peter’s 8-13 have created a ‘Growing Together’ wall. The children have been adding to the wall throughout the week, and have been encouraged to write or draw something they have learned, achieved or found out about themselves or others. This could be academic, in sport, music, art or in friendship.
Finally, pupils at St Peter’s 13-18 have continued to learn about the importance of mental health and wellbeing in their Lessons for Life and each pupil received a special cupcake for Children’s Mental Health Week on Friday lunchtime.
Kind Hearts are the Gardens
Kind hearts are the gardens
Kind thoughts are the roots
Kind words are the flowers
Kind deeds are the fruits
Take care of your garden
And keep out the weeds
Fill it with sunshine
Kind words and kind deeds
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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.JPG&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "International Day of Persons with Disabilities")
