2021
What a week we have planned for you!
Mental Health Week 1st – 7th February
When it comes to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our children, High Oakham is already on its own journey to achieve success in being a school where children’s mental health can not only be improved but also maintained. Next week, we are, once again, celebrating Mental Health Week in coordination with the website https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/children-s-mental-health-week/. The theme of this year's Children’s Mental Health Week is ‘Express Yourself’. Look out for exciting updates about events and projects that are going to take place next week and through the rest of this year.
Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. This could be through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film, and doing activities that make you feel good. It’s important to remember that being able to express yourself is not about being the best at something or putting on a performance for others. It is about finding a way to show who you are, and how you see the world, that can help you feel good about yourself.
It is so important that staff, parents and children of High Oakham see that mental health isn’t an add-on to our curriculum – it should be something that underpins it. We know that learning cannot take place if children are not emotionally available so it is vital that our children can express themselves in order to access the support that they need. If children feel that they are not accepted for any reason, then they are going to struggle to express themselves appropriately, so therefore ensuring that there are ‘no outsiders’ has a huge impact on children's emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Throughout the next week, staff will be working alongside the children to explore some important concepts and there will be a new one for the children to focus their learning on every day. We are hoping that the children will immerse themselves in the lessons that we will teach and incorporate them into their everyday lives. We want to ensure that ‘pupil voice’ is being heard by involving the children in action-planning for the future. This will be achieved through class council and asking the children both what they believe our school is doing well – that we can celebrate – and also what they feel we could do to be even more successful.
Mighty Monday
Mighty Monday poses - check out our HOPS superhero slideshow!
Thankful and thoughtful Tuesday
Thankful and thoughtful Tuesday - today the focus is around reflection and being thankful.
Knowing that we are kept safe and we have lots of things to be grateful for, can help us feel emotionally well and mentally strong
Our children across school will be reflecting on our community heroes and their place that they have played in keeping us safe.
We are thankful
Wishes Wednesday
On Wishes Wednesday, we are asking you to reflect on a year of uncertainty and worries and look to the future in hope - what are your hopes for the next year - your wish.
Everyone has some 'water drops' to write their wishes on and we will display them in a 'waterfall of wishes' at the front of our school to display our hopes and wishes as a school community and to give light and hope to the community passing by.
Please feel free to join in and send in your wish too! headsoffice@highoakham.notts.sch.uk