THE SECOND ‘Whole School Wellbeing Day’ took place at Sytchampton School on Friday.
This year the children were empowered to take the lead in organising the wellbeing activities after last year’s inaugural event.
Pupils decided the film ‘Inside Out’ for this year’s theme with every student invited to dress up as an emotion and to demonstrate how we all experience so many different feelings – which is normal.
Pupils at Sytchampton Primary School enjoy a water fight as part of Wellbeing Day. Picture by Marcus Mingins 2422021MMR1 copyright Bullivant MediaThe aim is for the children to choose activities which will support and enhance their happiness and wellbeing and the ones with the most votes were organised.
Among them were movie and popcorn, colouring, sports, baking, parachute play, gardening, arts and crafts, board games, outdoor playtime, listening to music and more.
Headteacher and wellbeing champion Natalie Hothi said: “We have worked hard as a team over the last few years to make wellbeing our top priority.
“We have two children from every class, who are wellbeing champions representing their peers.”
She added she was delighted to see the roles grow and evolve.
Key stage two wellbeing champions were lucky enough to complete training with Tracey Freer and the All Active Academy, as part of the school sports partnership, to support their role within school this year.
It emabled the children to recognise and understand how their friends may be feeling and to notice if ‘they were not themselves’.
A baby red footed tortoise pays a visit. Picture by Marcus Mingins 2422021MMR3 copyright Bullivant MediaOther tasks and activities throughout the year included a wellbeing assembly and survey, displays, newsletter contributions and boxercise sessions.
Mrs Hothi added the school had received positive feedback from the parents of the wellbeing champions with one saying her son really enjoyed the role and was enjoying organising events.
She added she, the parents and staff all valued the children’s wellbeing and good mental health and were always looking to improve it.
A nurture room – affectionately known as ‘the little room’ – had been redecorated providing a calm, safe space for children to regulate their feelings and support their individual needs.
Several parents were involved in the redecoration and others had tirelessly reinvigorated the school’s wonderful outdoor space in their own time at weekends.
She added exercise and outdoor time had a very positive impact on the children’s mental health and weekly activities included gymnastics, cricket and rounders.
In Nurture Club, children had made salt dough and bird feeders and tried watercolour painting, nature sketching, seed planting, biscuit decorating and more.
The wellbeing champions have also been instrumental in planning and organising events to raise cash for the school’s wellbeing fund.
Doughnuts were donated by Morrisons for a ‘Doughnut Day’, wellbeing key rings and bracelets have been made and a non-uniform day was held.
The funds paid for a visit by Steve Rowland and his wonderful animals – his organisation DWAEC is dedicated to increasing awareness and fascination of all types of life from dinosaurs to meerkats.
Mrs Hothi thanked DWAEC – dwaec.co.uk – for supporting the school and added: “We look forward to lots more wellbeing fun in the years ahead at Sytchampton.”
