A Wellbeing Powerpoint for you
Within our school context, positive mental health promotion focusses on enhancing protective factors that contribute to the social and emotional growth, and general well-being of our students. In Margaret Aylward Community College we pride ourselves on the warm and caring environment in our school. Our ethos is central to our values as a community and we strive to maintain this care for our students through the provision of programmes that support the wellbeing of our school community. This holistic approach to your child’s education is supported by the provision of the following programmes:
The Rainbows Programme
The Rainbows programme supports children and young people affected by loss because of bereavement, separation or divorce.
Rainbows can:
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Support a child to engage with their own individual grief– to identify, name, understand, express and share their feelings
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Provide a safe setting to tell and retell feelings and thoughts with trained listeners
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Support children to have a shared experience and identification with others’ feelings… “I’m not the only one”
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Acknowledge a child’s grief and loss
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Support a child’s self-esteem, trust, confidence and resilience
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Support emotional growth and a pathway to positive mental health
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Provide a model of coping and support
For further information please see www.rainbowsireland.ie
Friends for Life
The ‘FRIENDS for Life’ programme is a school-based positive mental health programme. The World Health Organisation cites ‘FRIENDS for Life’ as the only evidence-based programme effective at all levels of intervention for anxiety in children (WHO 2004). The programme helps students to develop effective strategies to deal with worry, stress and change and teaches the skills required to reduce anxiety and promote resilience. It is beneficial for all students, irrespective of their anxiety level.
Restorative Circles as part of Wellbeing
Restorative practices cultivate a culture in which everyone feels like they belong. They build a particular sense of community in which every member--students, teacher, parent volunteers, sna's--feel that they are seen, heard, and respected. In Margaret Aylward Community College we have introduced restorative circles as part of our Well-being programme for our students.