Rye College and Community Primary School were buzzing with activity on Thursday February 9, with children making a donation for the privilege of wearing home-clothes. The theme was ‘Dress to Impress’ and many did, indeed, impress.
Amy Biddle, Communications Officer, explained the activities on offer, including a family coffee morning at Rye College focused on managing anxiety, a bake sale and tombola fund-raiser hosted by the Student Leadership team, and a family coffee afternoon at the primary school.
The air was charged with purposefulness and it was wonderful to see the way that the senior children were supporting and encouraging the youngsters who had organised the bake sale and the sale of ‘Worry Worms’ and beads.
Amy summed up the day: “Children’s Mental Health Week is run by children’s mental health charity Place2Be and aims to shine a light on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. This year’s theme is Let’s Connect. People with positive connections to family, friends and others often experience better mental health than those who are less well connected.
“To support this important campaign Rye College and Rye Community Primary school came together to encourage our young people, team-members and families to connect with each other in healthy, rewarding and meaningful ways. Our final day of term celebrated our commitment to good mental health with a range of activities and non-uniform days across both schools under the theme of ‘Dress to Express’ yourself. All funds raised will be donated to Place2Be.”
Headteacher of Rye College, Dom Downes, added:
“Our children’s well-being is a priority for us and is why we work so hard to provide the support and education that allows our students to improve their mental health and thrive. We work with partners from a range of agencies, such as Place2Be, Action Your Potential, FSN My Time, I-Rock Hastings and Young Carers to underpin and extend the valuable support that the Student Hub and SEND team provide in school”.
One of Rye Community Primary School’s Year 3 pupils articulated the importance of looking after our mental health: “It always makes me feel better to talk about things that are worrying me” – good advice for us all.
One theme that has run through the week nationwide as well as at the schools in Rye is Kindness. It is a simple way to help EVERYONE. When we are kind to each other, it helps us to feel connected, which means we forge new friendships or deepen existing ones.
Research has also shown that when we are kind, or when someone is kind to us, our bodies release feel-good hormones which lift our mood. It has also been shown that people who are kind have much lower stress levels, age more slowly and have healthier hearts. Acts of kindness are not just a good to do but can help us improve our own well-being, while helping others at the same time.
We should teach children about the importance of kindness, the science of kindness and the impact it has on our physical and mental health – and Children’s Mental Health Week is a perfect time to start.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .