Thank you for your lovely feedback about Wellbeing Wednesday. It was so lovely to hear about the enjoyment both students and their families had when taking part in Wellbeing Wednesday. We recognise the importance of our students having hobbies and interests outside of the School curriculum and we are so proud of the well-rounded individuals so many of our students are becoming.  

So, here are just a few examples of what our students got up to for Wellbeing Wednesday…

Many students enjoyed nature walks and we loved hearing about the students who took time to play in the snow with their families (although it’s hard to believe just a few weeks ago we were building snow people). Many students really appreciated being away from their screens and some said it gave them a chance to clear their heads; something that we all need in this busy world. One Year 7 student even said; “I have learnt that the world isn’t just about social media and the internet”.

Others enjoyed indulging in virtual travel, taking tours of places like Machu Picchu. It has been a very difficult year, and we know many have really missed out on those all-important family holidays. It was therefore so nice to hear that families spent time together virtually exploring places and learning about different countries and cultures. These virtual tours are certainly no substitute for the real thing, however everyone needs a bit of escapism!

We saw some amazing examples of students embracing their creativity; fashion design, collage making, painting, drawing portraits, Lego models, film production and writing codes.

We were also pleased to hear about students practising mindfulness through meditation and yoga. Our busy minds have a habit of leaving us feeling overwhelmed, so learning to calm our mind is a skill essential for our children.

Many students passed the time cooking and baking. It was so heart-warming to hear about the stories behind the baking. One student said she had made a key lime pie because it had reminded her of her best family holiday. Sitting down together and sharing food is perhaps the most joyous thing to do as a family.

Our students in school also had fun with a range of Arts and Crafts activities such as AirFix model aeroplanes, painting plates and monoprinting.

The experience of Wellbeing Wednesday has really opened our eyes to the importance of taking time for yourself. In life, we will always have demands and pressures placed on us. It is therefore so important that we equip our children with ways to switch off, take stock and remain grounded. We need to remind our children that pressures and stresses are unfortunately here to stay, however if we can help them to explore ways to enhance good mental health, their positive responses to difficult external factors will ensure both happiness and success. Thank you to everyone who took part in Wellbeing Wednesday and tried something new!

We would like to finish this post with a story written by a Year 8 student for his Wellbeing Wednesday activity. Each sentence of this story starts with a different letter of the alphabet and we think it’s beautiful!  

Aggie was an unusually small elephant. Born 3 months early, she never quite managed to catch up in size with her other elephant friends. Cautious was her middle name, being so small made her feel vulnerable & she didn’t have the confidence to play in the water without her mummy.

Daddy elephant (who was called Douglas), tried to help her and encouraged her to visit the watering hole saying that he would stay out of sight but would be watching her from afar, in case she got into trouble, so cautiously Aggie made her way towards the water’s edge.

Elephants everywhere stopped playing their squirty trunk games and stared at her. Fortunately, daddy elephant was on standby to rescue Aggie and to stop her from feeling alone.

“Good morning everyone” said daddy elephant. “Hello sir!” the elephants all replied, as to them he was their Headmaster at school, Mr Douglas.

“I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Aggie, who’ll be starting at our school next term”.

Jemima, who was also used to feeling uncomfortable due to her size (she was the largest 6-year-old elephant anyone had ever seen), gave Aggie the biggest, most welcoming smile she had ever seen.

Kind by nature, Jemima wanted to make Aggie feel welcome. “Lie down over here next to me in the shallow water Aggie” she said.

Moving very slowly (as she had teeny tiny legs and feet), Aggie started to make her way towards Jemima. “Nearly there” Jemima said encouragingly. “Only a few more steps to go” little Aggie said to herself trying to be brave.

Privately, Aggie was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to make it all the way across the swamp to the shallow water without stopping for a rest. Quietly and subtly, Jemima got up and made her way towards Aggie.

“Right then Aggie!” she said. “Shall I give you a bit of a bunk up with my trunk and you can ride the rest of the way on my back?”

Touched by her act of kindness, Aggie accepted and found herself riding on Jemima’s back. Unusually for Aggie, she didn’t feel self-conscious, just comfortable.

“Very high up here on your back isn’t it Jemima?” she said. “Wow! I can see right across the Savanna from up here, I can even see a baby giraffe!” exclaimed Aggie.

“Xavier the giraffe isn’t a baby Aggie, he’s aged 6 and just a bit small for his age as he was born 3 months early and he’s my best friend” Jemima said proudly.

“You mean to say that I’m not the only one small for my age, born 3 months early and never quite managed to catch up…” Aggie was about to say when she spotted another tiny animal playing with Xavier.

“Zebra!” shouted Aggie in excitement. “I can also see a baby Zebra!” “Not a baby zebra”, Jemima interrupted, “a 6-year-old zebra called Zack, he was also born 3 months early, so is a bit small for his age. The 4 of us are going to have so much fun being best friends together when you join our school”.

THE END.