In order to promote positive mental health and wellbeing at St. Cynoc’s N.S, we have decided to take part in the Amber Flag initiative. Successful completion of the Amber Flag initiative involves the whole school community coming together in order to create a safe, positive and healthy attitude towards our general physical and mental health and well-being.
We wish to rally the wider school community to endorse positive mental health and wellbeing. If any parents are willing to share their skills and talents with us in terms of music, meditation, mindfulness, fitness, healthy eating, art, etc. please get in touch. We acknowledge and appreciate the knowledge and skills you all have which may help us create a positive mental health and wellbeing environment.
We will be documenting all of our hard work on this page, where you will see all of the wonderful wellbeing work that is being completed in our school.
Pieta House is an organisation that works to promote hope among those suffering with their mental health in Ireland. The Amber Flag is an initiative run by Pieta House which 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 wellbeing.
The Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice was published by the government in 2018. The promotion of wellbeing enables children and young people to achieve their full potential and be resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their lives, to take care of their physical wellbeing and to have a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to their wider community.
It is recognised that positive mental health and well-being enables young people to lead fulfilling lives. Home and family are recognised as the primary source of nurturing and support for children. However, mental health and well-being are recognised as everyone’s concern and involves the whole school community, parents/guardians and others involved in day to day school life. Positive mental health for children is part of their overall health and is inextricably linked with wellbeing.
Our aims and objectives are:
- To create Amber Flag notice boards in the school, promoting positive mental health strategies.
- To hold a fundraising event for Pieta House and a Wellbeing Week to promote positive mental health in our school
- To hold a ‘Design a Poster’ competition within the school to raise awareness of positive mental health strategies.
- To promote well-being among staff and students by taking part in daily affirmations, kindness challenges and yoga and drumming workshops for students and staff.
Christmas Jumper Day
Many thanks to all the boys and girls for wearing their Christmas Jumper to school. We raised a total of €270.00 for Pieta House!
Amber Flag Board
Our Amber flag board is one of our aims for this school year. Many thanks to all who have helped create this. It is something for us to use to help promote positive health and wellbeing every day. Well done to our class winners in our Design a Wellbeing Slogan. Well done to our winning slogan for our school ‘Find your Flow, Achieve your Glow
Wellbeing Week
Our Wellbeing Week takes place between 2nd – 6th March. We have various activities for the children and parents to enjoy. We also have Wellbeing homework sheets for the children to complete.
Mindful Monday
Our school enjoyed a wonderful Mindful Monday filled with activities that encouraged calmness, gratitude, connection and creativity. we began the morning with a peaceful meditation session to prepare ourselves for the day ahead. the children embraced the quiet moment and reflected on the importance of mindfulness in our everyday lives. We also created our own gratitude jars, thinking carefully about the people, experiences and simple moments we are thankful for. We enjoyed a walk around our town with our paired class. This allowed everyone the opportunity to chat and spend time together outdoors. It also encouraged friendship, cooperation and an appreciation for our local community. Finally we took part in an energetic and engaging drumming workshop, which all classes thoroughly enjoyed.
Thankful Tuesday
Tuesday was another enjoyable and enriching day as part of our wellbeing week, with activities focused on mindfulness, movement and appreciation. We started the morning again with a calming meditation session., helping everyone to feel relaxed, focused and ready for the day ahead. Next we all had a Pilates session with Isobel. The children thoroughly enjoyed learning new stretches and movements while focusing on balance, posture and relaxation. Staff also had the opportunity to take part in an after-school Pilates session. which was greatly enjoyed and provided a lovely chance to unwind and recharge together. Finally each class designed thoughtful Thank You Cards, taking time to express gratitude and appreciation for the people who help and support them each day. the kind messages and creativity were a joy to see.
Wellbeing Wednesday
Wednesday brought another wonderful day of mindfulness, fun and creativity as our wellbeing week continued. We began the morning with our now familiar mediation session, allowing everyone to start the day feeling calm, centered and ready to learn. The children have really embraced these mindful moments throughout the week. In the senior school, pupils took part in an engaging Wellbeing Quiz. There was great enthusiasm, teamwork and plenty of thoughtful discussion throughout the activity. Well done to our winning team! Meanwhile, the junior school enjoyed a delightful Teddy Bears’ Picnic. The children loved bringing along their favourite teddy bears and spending time together in a relaxed and cheerful setting filled with stories, laughter and friendship. Finally as a whole school, we worked on a collaborative art project entitled What Makes Me Happy. The children expressed themselves creatively through colourful drawings and messages that reflected the people, activities and moments that bring them joy.
Terrific Thursday
Thursday was another fantastic day in our wellbeing week, filled with friendship, kindness and a love of reading. We began our day with a peaceful meditation session, continuing our focus on mindfulness and helping everyone to feel calm and positive for the day ahead. In the senior building, pupils celebrated Friendship Day through a variety of thoughtful activities. One highlight was creating Friendship Recipes, where the children reflected on the ingredients needed for strong and healthy friendships, such as kindness, respect, trust and laughter. In the junior building the children listened to the story ‘How Full is Your Bucket’, which encouraged conversations about kindness, caring for others and the impact our words and actions can have. Inspired by the story, the children created beautiful Kindness Flowers filled with kind words and positive messages. Thursday was also exciting as we celebrated World Book Day. The school was filled with creativity and colour as staff and children dressed up as their favourite book characters. We also enjoyed buddy reading with our paired class.
Feel Good Friday
We finished our wellbeing week on a high with a fantastic Feel Good Friday, full of of fun, reflection and celebration. The children and staff took part in Inside Out Day, wearing their clothes inside out to highlight an important message – that although someone may look okay on the outside, they may not always feel okay on the inside. This meaningful activity encouraged important conversations around kindness, empathy and looking out for one another. There was great excitement throughout the school as everyone came together for a whole-school dance party. The music, energy and laughter created a wonderful atmosphere and gave everyone the chance to celebrate the positive and supportive spirit that had been built throughout the week. To round off our wellbeing week, the children enjoyed a relaxing movie and treats together, a lovely way to unwind and celebrate all the activities and memories made over the past few days.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make Wellbeing Week such a success. We would especially like to thank Ms. Glynn, Ms. Mannion and our wellbeing committee for organising such a wonderful and meaningful week for all our pupils and staff. Their hard work and dedication created a positive, enjoyable and memorable experience for our entire school community.