Wellbeing
Welcome to Brompton Westbrook's Wellbeing page.
This page is intended for children and adults alike, to provide support and information on how to protect our wellbeing and provide learning opportunities and activities for promoting positive wellbeing.
It is important that we look after our physical and mental health and wellbeing, particularly in this tricky time.
Brompton Westbrook AIMS for Happiness:
A - We want children to acknowlege all emotional states and appreciate that it is normal to feel like this.
I - We then want to provide children with the tools and strategies for improving their mental wellbeing....
M - ...and managing their emotions.
S - Finally we want to offer support to all children and families through access and information on additional services within and outside the school.
This is all with a view to Happiness - which refers to the 5 Ways to Wellbeing https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing/
5 WAYS TO WELLBEING
Brompton Westbrook follows the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, as recommended by the NHS and various mental health and wellbeing charities, as a way to promote positive mental health. Find more information by following visiting the NHS website. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing/
Each term, the children will explore a different one of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing; participating in class discussions, sharing their ideas, promoting positive wellbeing and mental health and participating in class and whole school events.
TERM 2 - GIVE
Giving to others has been proven to boost wellbeing, a sense of community and our self esteem. This term children will be discussing different ways we can give - whether it be giving our old toys to charity, giving money/food to those in need or giving our time to help others.
Every class will choose their Wellbeing Ambassadors and we will have our first meeting to discuss different ideas to Give in term 2.
WHAT HAVE WE ALREADY DONE TO GIVE?
In term 1, children brought in food for donation to Caring Hands in Medway as part of our Harvest Collection. Children also raised money for Young Minds on our HelloYellow day - funds which will help to support young people who are struggling with their mental health.
WHAT WILL WE BE DOING IN TERM 2?
BWPS will be taking part in Christmas Jumper Day to raise funds for Save the Children. We will also be collecting warm coats and clothes to support Medway Street Angels and our local homeless community this winter. More details to follow.
What else can you do to Give? Send us your photos or post on Twitter - 5waystowellbeing.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT - FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
We are fortunate to benefit from lots of local mental health support services:
Click here for information from Medway Council on supporting your child's mental health and click here for support with your child's existing mental health needs.
Click here for information on supporting parent's mental health at this time.
Click here for a list of Medway School Health information and services.
NEW - How to support your child with their mental health - follow the link to Young Mind's guide to talking to your child about their mental health, including conversation starters and ways to start to talk through games and tasks - https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/starting-a-conversation-with-your-child/?acceptcookies=
Search 'A Better Medway' on Facebook for ideas to improve your mental health and wellbeing.
ACTION FOR HAPPINESS - 10 KEYS TO HAPPIER LIVING - https://www.actionforhappiness.org/10-keys-to-happier-living
**NEW** - Action for Happiness - Do Good December - click here for daily ways to do good and feel good at the same time.
Here you can find a range of activities to increase wellbeing, using the 10 Keys to Happier Living Guide. Click here to view the guide.
1. GIVING - 'Do for others'
- Offer to help out your grown up at home with a chore you wouldn't normally do.
- Bake or create a gift for a neighbour. You will enjoy being creative but they will really appreciate showing that you care.
- Complete the Power of Kindness Calendar from British Red Cross and see what kindness you can achieve https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-involved/teaching-resources/kindness-calendar
- **NEW** - Click here for information on giving a compliment card - research shows it will boost your mood and your friend's!
- **NEW** - Click here for the British Red Cross Kindness Activity Pack, full of wonderful ideas to spread a little love!
2. RELATING - 'Connect with people'
- Write a letter or email a friend. Let them know you are thinking of them and be sure to include questions for them so that they can write back!
- Ask an adult if you can phone or video call a friend or family member to see how they are doing.
- Complete an activity with an adult or sibling at home. You could bake a cake or build a den, even read a book to them and listen to them read back to you. Collaborating and working together helps to boost our wellbeing.
- **NEW** - Connect with your friends by clicking here to find out about interviewing your pals.
3. EXERCISE - 'Take care of your body'
- Go for a walk and soak up all the vitamin D and fresh air.
- Complete a Joe Wicks home work out.
- Create an obstacle course to complete at home. Example: 10 star jumps, run to the end of the garden and back, 5 squats, 5 jumps. Can you time yourself and then work towards beating your time?
- Visit Change4Life's website for top tips on eating nutritious food and drinking lots of water - https://www.nhs.uk/change4life
- Visit GoNoodle for lots of exercise activities - https://www.gonoodle.com/
- Visit our PE webpage for lots of other ideas to keep fit and active.
- **NEW** - Click here for some advice on healthy sleeping habits.
- **NEW** - Click here to take part in the 6 week Wellbeing through Sport project, run by EdStart to boost your mood.
4. AWARENESS - 'Living mindfully'
- All too often we rush to eat our meals. Slow things down and appreciate them more by clicking here to access an Eating Mindfully lesson.
- Click here to make your own Covid-19 Time Capsule, which allows an opportunity for reflection on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
- Cosmic Kids Zen Den is an excellent online resource to practise mindfulness for children - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8snGkhBF7ngDp1oJtx5VcjwatxZn8xLK
- Or try some Cosmic Kids Yoga to practise yoga and meditation techniques - https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga
- **NEW** - Click here for some advice on starting your day the mindful way.
- **NEW** - Check out the Bow-Wowza website for tips on being kind, spreading love and general wellbeing - all from dogs! https://bow-wowza.com/bow-wowza-activities/
- **NEW** - Click here for some wonderful calming exercise cards from Relax Kids - the perfect way to calm when you are feeling anxious or stressed
5. TRYING OUT - 'Learning new things'
- We have lots of links to learning new skills on our PE, Art and Music webpages.
- Cook a new meal with an adult. Click for KS1 and KS2 healthy bake ideas from Joe Wicks. Could you create your own meal to cook?
- Become a gardening expert by visiting the BBC Gardening with Children website to find lots of exciting activities for the garden, including tracking your snails, leaf collecting and building your own wormery! http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/
- Rosetta Stone are offering free online languages learning for children during the current climate. Ask an adult to help if you want to learn a new language! https://www.rosettastone.co.uk/lp/freeforkids/
6. DIRECTION - 'Having goals'
- Share your dreams. Write down 3 aspirations you have, whether they are academic - improve handwriting, increase TTRockstars scores, learn more about the planets - or something new - be able to do a cartwheel, learn some Italian. Share your aspirations with someone at home. Come up with a small steps plan to achieve your goal and start today! Example - I want to improve my TTRockstars scores. I will start today by practising my 6 timetables and next week I will practise my 8's. -----Remember: It is a marathon, not a sprint! -------
- To help with the above task, click here for a Hope Clouds lesson from Young Minds.
7. RESILIENCE - 'Finding ways to bounce back'
- Watch this series of 5 YouTube videos from ClassDojo on Growth Mindset for children. There is a lot of science behind how our brains work and it isn't about what we don't know but what we haven't learnt...yet! https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=growth+mindset+for+kids+episode+1
- When something is troubling you, do something else you enjoy to shift your mood and bring a new perspective to the problem.
- Click here for some reflection questions on what you can do to make changes positive. Grown ups click here for advice on helping young people to deal with change.
- **NEW** - For top tips on ways to be resilient, click here.
8. EMOTIONS - 'Look for the good'
- Listen to your favourite music, watch something funny on TV, get outside in the fresh air and listen to local bird song. Take the time to appreciate the things that make you smile.
- Try to smile and say something positive whenever you walk into the room - your mood will instantly lift!
- Click here, here and here for a lesson and resources from BBC Children in Need on being thankful and learning about gratitude.
- Follow the link to create your own Thankful Tree - https://blissfulkids.com/playful-mindfulness-for-children-gratitude-tree/
9. ACCEPTANCE - 'Be comfortable with who you are'
- Everyone is different and unique and that is what makes us all so special! Dwelling on our flaws makes it hard to be happy though. Learn to accept yourself and be kind to yourself when things go wrong.
- Good to be me activity - Draw a self portrait in the middle of a piece of paper. Around your drawing, list all of your strengths - from being good at numeracy to being an excellent listener to your friends. Share your drawing with an adult - they will be sure to add even more of your strengths for you!
- Click here to complete a Family Achievements worksheet and share in each other's success!
10. MEANING - 'Be part of something bigger'
- We are on a small planet in a huge galaxy. Do some star gazing and see what you can spot. Click here for a BBC Kids Stargazing activity pack.
