Feelings of wellbeing are important to the overall health of all our girls. Wellbeing enables them to successfully overcome difficulties and experience successes, both big and small, every day. At SCPS, we pride ourselves on promoting mental health and wellbeing as an integral part of the girls’ education which helps them flourish in their educational journey, building resilience and developing protective strategies.

This term, the Wellbeing Day focus was `Finding your brave’. All girls from Reception to Year 6 were able to take part in a range of activities which included:

• yoga and mindfulness
• tai-chi
• water-colour painting
• mindfulness colouring
• forest school
• running
• reusable bag making
• friendship band making

Yoga was offered by Natalie of Natty Little Yogis, who is a specialist children’s and teen yoga teacher and says: `With not only academic and social pressures on our young, but now the burgeoning “new normal’ thrust upon us, it is ever more important to support the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of our children and young people. Having methods that enable us to log off and shut down will become ever more important.’

The benefits of our termly Wellbeing Days are numerous. They help improve concentration and communication, develop confident self-expression and increase physical and mental wellbeing. This is why the concept is important —as it gives our girls the chance to take care of themselves.

As always, the fun and interactive occasion engaged the girls, allowed them to reflect on their individual wellbeing and take those steps towards a holistically healthier lifestyle; a real day of `Finding your brave’.

Olivia in Year 6 writes:

On Tuesday 10th November, the pupils of our wonderful school were treated to a wellbeing day: a day off school work, to recharge, relax and rebalance ourselves. It was a grand day!

My class began with yoga and we escaped to the land of ‘downward dogs’ and ‘swaying trees’ leaving us de-stressed and slightly giggly!

We followed yoga with colouring, which is a proven way to generate mindfulness and calm restless minds, for it relaxes the core centre of your brain, the amygdala (or so the scientists say). Not sure all of us were focused on being mindful and quiet but we all enjoyed each other’s company, bonding over our pens and pictures.

After break, we got back to nature with forest school: designing maps in the playground and toasting sweet marshmallows, which were the most delicious soft clouds of gooeyness, although many a girl could testify that hers may have been more charred than lightly toasted! Great fun and so memorable!

The day was flying away but it wasn’t over. Next, we retreated inside again to see Mrs Brent who had organised a watercolour activity. We were to make watercolour cards for friends and family that we hadn’t seen much of due to Lockdown. It was all quite moving and we all opened up with each other about whom we had missed. Honestly, the cards were beautiful and the moment beautiful too… bringing us all together.

Finally, we went to bag making, where many of us continued the idea of making bags for those family and friends that we missed and more smiles and giggles revealed themselves.

In all, it was a day to treasure and that will be remembered: friendship bonds were unexpectedly deepened and fun was had by all!