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Amber Flag

“The Pieta Amber Flag Initiative recognises the individual efforts of primary and secondary schools, youth reach, third level institutions, community groups, clubs and companies to create healthy, inclusive environments that support mental well-being.”

We are delighted to inform our school community that we have successfully achieved our Amber Flag from Pieta House, this initiative was undertaken throughout the 2020-2021 school year to promote positive mental health amongst our students and staff. We would also like to extend our upmost gratitude to everyone who donated to our ‘Crazy Hair Day’ fundraiser as we raised a huge €327 for Pieta House. Further information on what this money will be used for can be found on the Pieta House website:

https://www.pieta.ie/

Introduction to our Amber Flag Initiative

We are very excited to inform you all that here at Scoil Mhuire National School, we are embarking on a new adventure which places emphasises on fostering positive mental health in our school. This school year we have been engaging with the new challenge of obtaining our Amber Flag.

Amber Flag Committee

*Junior and Senior Infants: Katie Corcoran & Cesar Galvin

*1st and 2nd Class: Dominique Trappe & Joanne McDonnell

*3rd and 4th Class: Killian Owens, Ella Flaherty, Margarita Auzelyte & Frank Murtagh

*5th and 6th Class: Hope Heslin & Lara McWeeney

Weaving Wellbeing Journal

During challenging times, it’s more important than ever to look after your child’s well-being. To help parents to help their children, Outside the Box has produced a FREE activity journal (At Home with Weaving Well-being) to help children to enhance their mental well-being through a range of activities. It’s probably most suitable for children aged 8 to 12 tears old but can certainly be adapted for younger or older children.

Most of the topics in the FREE journal, such as positivity, gratitude, kindness, bravery, creativity and self-kindness, are drawn from the field of Positive Psychology, which is the science of well-being. There are also activities based on dealing with worries and coping with change.

The journal aims to give children a chance to reflect and express themselves, gradually building into a highly personal portfolio reflecting unique aspects of their mental well-being. Once complete, they may enjoy looking over it again from time to time, especially whenever they need a well-being boost!

At Home with Weaving Well-Being

Click to access At-Home-with-Weaving-Well-being-A-Mental-Health-Journal-for-Kids.pdf

Active Breaks Challenge

Physical activity is a vital component needed to enhance our wellbeing. Even a short burst of 10 minutes’ brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood. As participation in regular physical activity can increase our self-esteem and can reduce stress and anxiety, we decided to embark on a run a day challenge in our school.

Check out our pictures below.

‘Active Break Every Day’ Challenge Pictures

Mindful Mondays

Teaching children to care for their minds is just as important as teaching them how to care for their bodies. It is essential that children are introduced to meditation early on in their lives so that they can develop strategies to calm their minds and to use healthy coping mechanisms as they grow and develop. Here at Scoil Mhuire we have been engaging with a mindfulness activity each Monday to help start our week off on a positive note. Meditation has been proven to help children with their:

sleep
attention
focus
retention of information
creativity
mood
managing stress

‘Crazy Hair Day’ in aid of Pieta House

Our whole school got involved in a ‘Crazy Hair Day’ to showcase our individuality, uniqueness and to raise much needed funds for Pieta House. This initiative offered a sense of freedom to the students to be innovative with their hairstyle while also making a donation to help those who are experiencing mental health difficulties.

Check out the pictures of our Crazy Hair Day below:

Calm Jars and Worry Dolls

Mental Health Awareness Notice Boards

Mental Health Awareness Day

On Wednesday April 21^st we held a ‘Mental Health Awareness’ to raise awareness of mental health issues in our school community and to discuss efforts that could/will be implemented to support positive mental health amongst our students and staff. The day provided students with the opportunity to talk about their own mental health and to brainstorm what more could be put in place to aid them in fostering and maintaining positive mental health.

We had a range of activities from the day which included: