Children’s Mental Health Week
This year Children’s Mental Health Week is running from 7th to 13th February 2022. At Uphill Village Academy we want to equip our children with the skills to look after themselves and each other…. that is why we take part in Children’s Mental Health Week run by Place2be, to focus on the importance of children and young people’s mental health.
The theme of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is Growing Together.
Growing Together is about growing emotionally and finding ways to help each other grow. Challenges and setbacks can help us to grow and adapt and trying new things can help us to move beyond our comfort zone into a new realm of possibility and potential. However, emotional growth is often a gradual process that happens over time, and sometimes we might feel a bit ‘stuck’.
During the week your children will be taking part in a variety of activities in their classes to help them think about how they have grown and how they can help others to grow. We will be making a display of their ideas and activities so don’t forget to look out for it.
What is mental health?
Mental health is about our feelings, thinking, emotions and our moods. We all have small feelings every day and these are important for building resilience and confidence. Sometimes these feelings can become stronger and overwhelming but they are still small feelings and we are able to deal with them and chase them away.
Sometimes we experience big feelings. These feel stronger and overwhelming for a long time, these can get in the way and stop us doing what we want. When we experience these strong feeling it is good to talk to someone that you trust.
If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, our learning mentors, Lucy d’Scossa and Helen Hetherington, are available to speak to you through their email address or the school office. They will also be able to sign post to other organisations that offer help.
As parents and carers, you play an important role in your child’s mental health. Check out some free resources for families from Place 2 Be below.
https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/parents-and-carers/
www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/blog/looking-after-yourself-as-a-parent/
Other resources that you might find useful
SJC Rise and Shine
SJC Rise and Shine is a private service, supporting children with their physical, mental health and well-being privately and within schools and educational settings. 1:1 mentoring sessions are offered to children aged 4-16 in their homes after families have been in contact in need of some help. Activities support children with any worries/anxieties that they might be experiencing and develop the children’s confidence and self-esteem.
SJC Rise and Shine will be rolling out a programme to support children with their physical, mental health and well-being, including mindful movement, breathing exercises, meditation and a range of techniques to enable children to feel calm and confident.
For further information please contact:
Sophie Cox @ SJC Rise & Shine [email protected] 07525370060
Social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
Kooth
www.kooth.com is available for all young people aged 10-18+ (up to 25 if yp is in leaving care or has an additional need) with free, safe and anonymous wellbeing support and advice. Accessible from any internet enabled device, Kooth is available every day.
Kooth has also created a fantastic support brochure for parents and carers
Parent and Carer Brochure Kooth
Another great resource for you as a parent, to support your child’s mental health is from Thrive.
