On February 4th, pupils at The Paragon took part in a Wellbeing Day for Children’s Mental Health Week. The school focused on promoting self-awareness, emotional expression, and resilience through a wide range of fun and engaging activities.
Throughout the day, pupils of all ages participated in creative activities centred around mental wellbeing. Years 3 and 4 each created their own smiley faces in art lessons on circular canvases, adorning them with stencils and brightly coloured paints. A parent/author, shared stories which encouraged the children to connect with their feelings and express themselves more openly, and a Tibetan singing bowl experience was a fascinating way for the younger children to relax and listen carefully, promoting mindfulness.
Many of the activities involved getting out into the great outdoors and the Pre-Prep took part in sculpting sessions in the woods, where they each identified an animal that they felt best represented them, before constructing their own clay versions. Year 2 pupils were also delighted to host a nature trail for Squirrels Pre-Schoolers in the school’s woods.
The Paragon’s Year 6 classes were given talks on mental resilience by Nicola from Bath Mindfulness. These talks focused on how pupils could mentally prepare for stressful situations, helping them to feel more confident and resilient in their everyday lives. In Music lessons, pupils practised Alexander Technique and stopped to listen to Mozart’s Lacrimosa, observing how the dramatic requiem made them feel.
Izzy Howden, Assistant Head Co-Curricular at The Paragon, said: “Children’s mental health is one of our most important responsibilities. This engaging day of workshops and discussions was enjoyable for both students and teachers, and we hope it will have a lasting impact by providing our pupils with essential tools to support their emotional wellbeing.”