The week of 3rd-7th February marked Children’s Mental Health Week and, along with schools up and down the country, Greenfield pupils took part in an array of special activities to highlight the importance of taking care of our mental health.
The week kicked off (or should we say “conga’d off) with a huge conga line with every child from Reception to Year 6. They shuffled and shimmied across the school grounds in an effort to get everyone to fill their lungs with fresh air, smile and laugh together.
Back indoors, every child was encouraged to bring in a plant pot they already owned, or to create one from the bottom of a plastic bottle, so that they could plant cress seeds and decorate the container with positive messages. During their PSHE lessons, this activity prompted discussions surrounding self-care, good hydration, the importance of getting enough light, space and air and how these are things we all need to feel at our best. At the end of the week, every child had a new cress plant to take home, nurture and remind them of this fantastic week.
It was not only PSHE that embraced mental health this week, in English the children studied specific texts such as My Monster and Me, Ruby’s Worry and The Magical Yet and took part in activities to explore the topic and engage the children in some creative writing. And in Art lessons, every child took part in a huge project to create a positivity piece to hang in the school.
The Greenfield community is fantastic at coming together to support good causes and we were delighted to take part in a Mindfulness Assembly led by one of our parents. The children then took part in mindfulness breathing and stretching activities.
On Thursday, the children came together in their Houses (Quartermaine, Pearce, Hicks and Jefferies) and had a hilarious game of human bingo. House competitions are a lovely way for children of all ages to come together and it is a pleasure to watch relationships between our youngest and oldest pupils blossom. A feeling of security and safety in school is bolstered for many by the relationships they hold between pupils outside of their own class and our regular mentoring sessions by Year 6 also contribute to this great sense of family.
As if all that wasn’t enough, we had a number of visitors on site too: a prickle of hedgehogs came to visit on Monday and Tuesday and prompted discussions amongst older children of self-preservation and resilience, while younger children talked of the importance of rest (hibernation does sound rather appealing in the middle of February!). Greenfield is also very lucky to have a professional children’s counsellor who visits the school weekly. In addition to her regular 1:1 sessions, this week she was on call to all children via a drop-in service, which created another opportunity for the children to feel seen and heard.
Whilst a week of focused activity is a fantastic way to draw attention to a topic, at Greenfield, we always try to ensure that important aspects of growing up are disseminated across our daily learning. Many of the activities enjoyed by the children this week will be referenced time and again as they continue through the school year, and as we collectively work towards empowering our children to take care of their mental health.
