Nenagh school flies the flag for health promotion

A Nenagh school has found itself leading the line again in terms of forward-thinking education after it was recently awarded with a 'Health Promoting Schools' flag.

St Mary's Convent Primary School was one of a chosen few schools in Ireland to pilot the Digital Learning Framework Programme. Now the Nenagh school has become one of only four in Tipperary to receive the Health Promoting Schools (HPS) flag. A HSE-backed initiative aimed at enhancing the learning outcomes of pupils, as well as their general school-going experience through promotion of health and wellbeing, only around 30 schools in the country have received this award.

At St Mary's, the initiative involved the introduction of several new facets to the regular curriculum, among them mindfulness, yoga, art projects associated with wellbeing, an anti-bullying pledge, and a talk on cyber bullying. There were also morning fruit breaks, in which those involved were encouraged to drop what they were doing and eat some fruit.
Further aspects of the Health Promoting Schools initiative at St Mary's included a suggestion box, into which students and staff members secreted ideas about how to make their school a happier place.

The most recent aspect of the programme concentrated on mindfulness, in which participants sought a fresh approach to their scholarly activities by clearing their minds. A particularly popular part of this initiative was the use of the Hoberman Sphere, a collapsible/retractable 'thinking toy' which, when combined with breathing exercises, can instill calmness.

Similarly, some of the pupils made their own calming jars, filled with material that they can shake up and watch settle in a manner that is proven to help children meditate. The pupils – and their teachers – also enjoyed listening to relaxing music.

Some classes even wrote positive messages about one another and displayed them anonymously in their classrooms. And the good vibes followed the pupils home where, as part of a 'Random Act of Kindness' exercise, they carried out such chores as filling the dishwasher, without having to be asked!

Meanwhile, Senior Infants took part in the 'Zippy's Friends' initiative, an emotional learning programme that teaches young children how to cope with difficulties, making them better able to handle problems and crises in adolescence and later life.

This was a truly holistic exercise, involving not just the pupils and teaching staff but also the parents, who were surveyed and encouraged to have their own input into healthy activities at the school. One outcome of the survey was the replacing of towels at the school with hand-drying machines.

Running for the last two years and involving every class in the school, the HPS initiative was coordinated by St Mary's teachers Jean Ryan, Majella Gaynor and Heather Hough. The focus on healthy activities started out with sports, after which there was an emphasis on nutrition and healthy eating. Students were generally encouraged to become more active. A different class would be chosen to walk a kilometre around the school; the combined target was to reach the equivalent distance of walking to Dublin.

Pupils from Third to Sixth Class formed their own HPS committee to co-ordinate activities. Three pupils from the committee, Hazel Higgins from Dolla (Fourth Class), Suzanne Brennan (Ardcroney, Sixth Class), and Blanca Wrona (Nenagh, Fifth Class) spoke to this newspaper after receiving their award. They agreed that the HPS initiative has made a big difference in their school. They referred to St Mary's as a “healthier and happier place”, and they expressed pride in what they have achieved.

The girls spoke of how St Mary's pupils in general now approach all aspects of school life with a positive mindset, a more relaxed attitude, a better ability to solve problems and even a sense of resilience.

Unveiled by hurling stars Barry Heffernan, Jake Morris and Conor McCarthy at a special ceremony last week, the Health Promoting Schools flag now proudly flies alongside the Green and Active flags outside St Mary's. All at the school are now committed towards building on the success of this pioneering project for Nenagh over the coming years.

 

Photo: St Mary’s Convent Primary School Health Promoting Schools committee, including teachers Jean Ryan and Majella Gaynor, pictured with Anne Marie Crosse (Health Promoting Schools), Tipp hurlers Barry Heffernan, Jake Morris and Conor McCarthy; and Principal Peadar O’Dwyer as they raised their Health Promoting Schools flag at the school last week, when the Liam MacCarthy and James Nowlan Cups were also brought to the school. PHOTOGRAPH: ODHRAN DUCIE