What an amazing Dress to Express day we all had!

We discovered that we can express a whole range of emotions by wearing a certain colour, a texture, a pattern. Accessories such as hair bands played a big part in our Dress to Express day and so did nail varnish ! We talked about fashion as a tool that can trigger great memories, a power tool that can shift our mood and help us to connect mind and body. We talked about our heros and their many costumes and how they made us feel like heros too on a hard day.

By sharing the reason behind why we chose a particular outfit, we put into practice good mental health strategies, we discovered things we didn’t know about each other, we showed kindness, respect and shared joy! Above all we showed that we connected as a community.

We have also raised over £200 towards the building of sensory walks around school.

Thank you Howard Primary!

Mrs Pollington and Miss Ancel from the Wellbeing Team at Howard Primary

Children’s Mental Health Week 2023

”Children’s Mental Health Week 2023 will take place from 6th-12th February 2023.

This year’s theme is Let’s Connect and  is about making meaningful connections. People thrive in communities, and this connection is vital for our wellbeing. Having healthy connections – to family, friends and others – can support our mental health and sense of wellbeing”( from Place2Be website). 

This year, we will celebrate this important week as follows :

1. MONDAY WELLBEING ASSEMBLY. Mrs Pollington will guide the children and staff through relaxation tools. We will learn what mental health is all about as well as looking at 5 steps to ensure positive mental health. Watch this video to learn what the 5 steps are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF7Ou43Vj6c
2. DRESS TO EXPRESS MUFTI DAY on Wednesday 8th February. Let’s Connect by talking about what makes us feel in the Green Zone! Wear it and talk it out! Children and adults will dress to express a positive feeling. We will ask for £1 donations so we can raise funds to create sensory walks around school. By talking about what has the power to uplift our mood and wellbeing , we can learn new tools but also make everyone aware that it is normal to talk about mental wellbeing. What will YOU wear ?
3. Children will take part in a WELLBEING CHALLENGE in groups of 4 or more. Each group will work on a tool of their choice ( e.g. a breathing technique, a relaxation strategy, a tour of one of the four Zones of Regulation) and will present their work to the class. The class will vote for the best group of their choice. The group who has gained the most votes will work with Mrs Pollington and Miss Ancel to record a video showcasing their tool. Each video will then be presented to the whole school and used by all children to practise the new tool.
4. Children will learn everything about FIRST AID so they can manage big feelings such as anxiety, fear ,stress in an emergency situation as well as learning first aid techniques.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW:

https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/news-and-blogs/2023/february/the-princess-of-wales-discusses-the-importance-of-connections-to-mark-children-s-mental-health-week/?utm_source=Place2Be+E-news&utm_campaign=100700b586-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_10_27_02_50_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_acf77df294-100700b586-220154172