Editor’s note: So it turns out some schools in Ireland have been taking things into their own hands by incorporating #SoundEffect into their schools inspired by our campaign last year (read more about our #SoundEffect campaign here), and inspired by the desire to create a healthy culture of wellbeing. This progressive initiative created by the teachers and students of Coláiste Íosagáin helped create waves of wellbeing, positivity and a focused intention on empowering students and teachers alike to take better care of their minds and each other.
Below is a brilliant piece written by English teacher Chris Booth highlighting their school’s Rise and Rave day and the phenomenal work being done in Coláiste Íosagáin, a school on the Laois-Offaly border. This is something that the A Lust for Life team would love to see spread throughout schools all over Ireland, so thank you so much for highlighting it. To the students and teachers of Coláiste Íosagáin, you are SOUND! If any teacher or Principal reading this would like to incorporate a #SoundEffect day in their school, contact us via info@alustforlife.com
From a teachers’ perspective – In Christopher’s words…
Wooden chairs, drab uniforms, thick books full of theory and tough-as-nails teachers. School as many remember it. This is no longer the case. At least, it doesn’t have to be.
On our last day of term in Coláiste Íosagáin, none of the above was evident as our students danced the morning away at our inaugural ‘Rise and Rave event’. Designed as part of increased efforts within the school to improve the wellbeing of students and to create a happier, more positive environment, the event saw over 400 students finish a long, tiring term with an array of colour, LED lights, live music, yoga, healthy food, face painting, glow sticks and much more.
Why though? Society is changing and therefore, so should schools. Thankfully, we are now beginning to live in an Ireland where mental health is being considered as important as physical health. A new generation of mental health advocates and speakers are coming forward, people who we want to listen to and learn from. These people are finally normalising the discussion on mental health and bringing it in to a mainstream forum.
In a school, which often represents a microcosm of society, and more importantly, where students grow and develop and deal with the issues that teenagers have, we must embrace the promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing.
It’s not just that we must though. We want to. And we see its importance. Over the last number of years the focus on wellbeing has increased within our school. The Student ‘Amber Committee’ meets regularly to see what they can do to improve life within the school for their peers. A group of teachers meet weekly for the same purpose and both groups interact and ensure that we’re on the same page.
During wellness week every year, we strive to ensure that each student engages with the week and gets involved and most importantly, takes something from it. We feel it’s important too, that the students see us, their teachers, as human beings, who empathise with and occasionally share negative feelings, rather than some metre stick wielding robots sent from the 1950s. We’ve all been teenagers ourselves, funnily enough and therefore we know the difficult, confusing emotions that accompany it.
Our role therefore, shouldn’t be to compound our students anxieties, to make sure they do not exist, or at worst, minimize them. We must remember also, that nowadays teenagers are living a double life. Their real, physical one and a cyber life. It’s not easy.
For us the Rive and Rave event (which incorporated elements inspired by A Lust for Life’s #SoundEffect campaign) was the first event of what we feel will be a positive and enjoyable year for the thousand or so boys and girls in our school. We kicked off the morning with a yoga demonstration. The majority of students took part and those who didn’t relaxed on the beanbags, painted their faces or ate from our selection of healthy foods available in the morning. All the while, Midlands 103 broadcast their morning show from just outside the hall. Various stalls allowed students to get involved, writing about the #SoundEffect within the school, creating a #SoundEffect wall (check out a photo of this below) a sort of Midlands Butterfly Effect of Positivity! After yoga, a DJ kicked off as the kids got in the groove and danced, waving glow sticks, having fun and mingling. (not too closely! We’re still a Catholic school remember!)
Each term we hope to achieve something new and to make sure our students know that it’s okay not to feel okay and it’s absolutely okay to ask for help. The fun factor and positivity spread on the day is what students will remember long after their schoolbooks have been shelved. Our students did themselves proud by getting involved, smiling, laughing, speaking on the local radio and by achieving something before most of the country had even awoken.
A recent Oireachtas report highlighted the importance of promoting wellness in schools. A change is on the way, but we’re not waiting for the change. We are embracing it now.
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