Posted on by Luke O'Shaughnessy

Wellbeing Week at Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School

By the Transition Year Wellbeing Team at Hansfield ETSS 

With mock examinations and in-class assessments approaching, as well as the dreary January weather impacting our good moods, a group of students and staff got together to plan Wellbeing Week at Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School. During Wellbeing Week students and staff across the school take part in a number of activities with the aim of improving the overall wellbeing of everyone involved and generating a positive atmosphere. This year the event was organised and run by a team of both staff and students.    

The week-long event started off strong with a “Drop Everything And Read” event and a mindfulness meditation. Throughout the week students were given the chance to participate in mindfulness colouring. This provided staff and students with a calm environment to focus on their own mental wellbeing. Students participated in a walk or run around the school in order to raise money for Pieta House. Those who ran were timed and fastest runners gained points for their respective houses, as part of our newly developed House System. Under our the new house system students are assigned to one of five houses – Fia, Torc, Tarbh, Lon Dubh and Cú with competitions and rewards on a regular basis.   

Staff had a day free of emails on Thursday and were pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful thank you notes written to them by students in all year groups. Staff also competed in a Wordle competition.  To celebrate the end of the week, Senior Cycle students competed in a five-a-side football tournament, which helped relieve some of the stress of the upcoming mock examinations and class assessments.   

Having organised a number of these Wellbeing Weeks, we aim to make this an annual event, and to make it even bigger and better for next year. All is well in Hansfield after a successful, calming reflective week.