Easter is very nearly here. We are in the last few days of March and April is coming quickly. The clocks will change by 1 hour, which means the evenings are lighter for longer. This is great for our wellbeing. More daylight!

Remember though, Easter is not just about chocolate, it's about thinking about Jesus. You will be learning the Easter Story this week in school. Everyone can enjoy the story and enjoy a little bit of chocolate too if you are lucky. Not too much though!

This Friday 15th March is Comic Relief Day.

Wear something red and practice your best jokes! It's a day for laughter.  It is actually good for you to laugh! It makes us feel good and laughter can change your mood instantly. You can donate too!

Just a reminder that Thursday 7th March is world book day. Come to school in your favourite book costume or comfy clothes and PJs.

Just a reminder of some useful numbers and websites.

Childline  phone free  0800 1111

www.childline.org.uk

Young minds   0800 802 5544

www.youngminds.org.uk

NottAlone  0808 196 3779

www.nottalone.org.uk

We hope you all had a lovely, safe half term break. Now we are seeing signs of Spring and the days are getting lighter, everyone starts to feel a little bit happier. I find I have more energy in the Spring, as sunlight helps us to be less tired.

Getting out for a walk is a fabulous thing to do in the Spring. As you walk, look around you and see if you can spot Daffodils and Snowdrops. Maybe some buds on the trees. Signs of Spring help your mood.  Mrs McCarthy

Time to Talk Day

is going to be on Thursday 1st February 2024.

Who can I talk to in school?

You can talk to any trusted adult in school, but some staff have special jobs which mean they can talk and listen to you about worrying things, private things, things that you might not feel comfortable talking to your friends about. They include myself Mrs McCarthy. 

Also Mrs Thomas, Mr Pegram, Mrs Rowlett, Mrs Main, Mrs Finnie and Mrs Carter are very special adults in school who help to keep you safe.

Your friends can be great to talk to also and of course your parents and carers. But sometimes it's good to talk to a grown up in school, who will listen and try to give you the best advice or support.

What can I talk about?

ANYTHING is the answer. If something is bothering you it's good to share it. If you just want to tell someone how happy you are, that's good too!

Enjoy Time to Talk Day. Your teachers will be planning some great activities for you.

What is BIO club?

By Invitation Only.

A lunchtime provision ran by Mrs McCarthy and other support staff, to provide a safe, fun environment inside at lunchtime. Not everyone enjoys the hustle and bustle of the playground or the loud dining hall. That's where another place to be helps to support those children who find that part of the day stressful. There are games to play, colouring, imaginary play and on a Friday music. 

Happy New Year! We are now in 2024. I hope 2024 is a great year for us all and that our wellbeing and mental health is good.

If you feel you need to talk to someone then you can ask to speak to Mrs McCarthy in school, or your teacher, in fact any trusted adult will listen to you. Talking to someone about your feelings is always a good thing to do.

Out of school, you can chat to a trusted adult, parent, family member or friend. As well as get support from childline 0800 1111 www.childline.org.uk

CAMHS 0808 1963779 text SHOUT to 85258 for a chat.

young minds  www.youngminds.org.uk

CALM www.thecalmzone.net

Enjoy your first full week back at school.

Today 7th December, we had Christmas Jumper Day. We raised money for Save the Children by donating to wear a jumper to school.

Don't forget that on Wednesday the 6th December, we are having our Winter Fair. Lots of activities and things to spend your money on and a chance to have some lovely time with family.

Christmas is getting so close now. The weather is changing and is very cold and we have seen some snow. Do wrap up in your coats, gloves and scarves.

Today is Monday 13th November and it is the start of Anti- Bullying week. It is also odd socks day and World Kindness Day.

Welcome back! We are now in November 2023. Next week is Anti-Bullying week. The themes this year is MAKE A NOISE ABOUT BULLYING. At Southglade we will be thinking about and talking about bullying. We will be making a noise about how to stop it! 

The week kicks off with an odd socks day on Monday. We will be doing some activities about anti bullying too. Bullying has no place in our school. 

This week we saw World Mental Health Day.

At Southglade we take mental health seriously everyday.

Here are some numbers and websites to support.

CAMHS crisis team 0808 1963779

text SHOUT to 85258 for a conversation with a trained volunteer.

NottAlone  www.nottalone.org.uk

Urgent help 0808 1963779

Samaritans 116123

childline 0800 1111

www.childline.org.uk

CALM  www.thecalmzone.net

young minds 0800 8025544

www.youngminds.org.uk

Welcome to October!

Isn't this year passing so quickly. Soon we will have darker days and sometimes this can affect our mood. It's ok though as lot of us feel like this in the autumn and winter. The key is to get as much daylight as we can. Get outside and enjoy the day even if it's a dull day it will still boost your mood.

What does Mrs McCarthy do?

Mrs McCarthy is a Learning Mentor and ELSA. (Emotional, Literacy, Support, Assistant)

Her sessions can be where children can talk about their worries, emotions or any problems they may want to discuss. She also likes to use a therapeutic approach and uses PACE to support her work. PACE stands for PLAYFULNESS, ACCEPTENCE, CURIOSITY and EMPATHY.  Mrs McCarthy will also use an emotion coaching style when working with children. She is trauma informed, which means she understands what trauma can do to a child and their behaviour. She will always look for strategies to help the child's wellbeing and mental health. She works closely with the Head teacher, SENCO and Special needs assistants, to ensure team work.

As well as all that she does singing assemblies and attendance checks!

Welcome back to Southglade!

I always start the new academic year by reminding you all that at Southglade we take wellbeing very seriously. This includes our mental health.

In school I am The Learning Mentor and ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant). I am also a mental health first aider. I work closely with Mrs Thomas who is our Mental Health Lead.

Joining me this year is Mrs Adams, who is going to start to work to support wellbeing at Southglade.

You can locate me in the ELSA room near the main hall.

Mrs McCarthy

The sun has got his hat on... have you?

We are experiencing some very hot weather at the moment.

You need;

Water. Drinking is so important in the hotter months. You do not want to get dehydrated and struggle with heat exhaustion and headaches.

Suncream. EVERYONE needs to protect their skin from the suns rays. This protection is essential to protect from burning and damage to skin which shows in later life.

A hat.  Protect your head from the sun. You can burn your scalp. You can also be sick if your head gets too hot.

Shade. Try to find shade when outside for long periods of time.

Sun glasses. Protect your eyes.

Enjoy the weather, but be sensible!

What is ELSA?

Some of you may have heard that I am an ELSA. You may also be thinking... What is ELSA?

ELSA stands for Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. Which means someone who cares about your emotional wellbeing and can help with understanding and controlling emotions. We all have emotions, that's what makes us human! However sometimes, they can become a bit much to cope with, especially if you are struggling with angry feelings, or feelings of anxiety. I can work with children who are struggling to understand their feelings and help them to find strategies to regulate themselves. I can also support if someone has died.

Speak to myself or your teacher/ TA if you feel you may need ELSA support.

Mrs McCarthy

Well-Being Vision Statement

‘Wellbeing and mental health are at the heart of our school and our community. We believe having a mentally healthy community is about working together through the challenges and sharing the celebrations; feeling supported, heard, accepted, valued and empowered.’

At Southglade Primary School we will promote, develop and prepare healthy learners for life. We are committed to making it our mission to promote resilience, positive wellbeing and mental health for all our pupils, staff, parents and community. We understand wellbeing to be a state of being comfortable, healthy and happy. We aim to drive this message forward, and to ensure that mental health and well-being is “everyone’s business” across the whole school community. We will strive to create an environment that has a whole school approach, in providing excellent mental health support, understanding and intervention. We will put Wellbeing at the heart of our school to ensure successful learning, and commit to our policies reflecting this practise.

Here are some useful numbers and websites.

Childline free on 0800 1111   www.childline.org.uk

CALM (campaign against living miserably)     www.thecalmzone.net

Young Minds free 0800 802 5544 weekdays 9.30-4pm   www.youngminds.org.uk

Samaritans   116123

In school,   Mrs McCarthy is the learning Mentor and ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) She is also a mental health first aider. Mrs Thomas is the Mental Health lead. If you would like a chat about anything regarding your wellbeing or mental health, we are always here to listen. We also have a Wellbeing Team of staff. You can approach any staff member and they will point you in the right direction for the appropriate support.

Childline.

The Childline site is great for browsing, finding things to do (including free games) and getting advice. Take a look at the link below.

Whenever you are feeling anxious or extremely upset, one way you can help yourself is by using an emergency bag or box. Fill it with things that you know will help you. Sometimes it is called a self soothe box. (see video below)

The fantastic ELSA site has great ideas for lifting a low mood.

www.elsa-support.co.uk 

We all have stress. Some stress is good stress, it makes us get things done! For example, if you have a task to finish, the good stress makes you get on and finish it.

However, sometimes we have stress that is not good for us. Sometimes we can't control the bad stresses of life. These can build up and makes us unhappy. That's when we have to find things that make us happy to get rid of that bad stress. For example, listening to music, reading, going for a walk, doing sports we enjoy and talking to someone. Anything that relieves the stress. Take a look at the document below. It shows a stress bucket, sometimes called a stress container. As it gets full, the tap releases some of that bad stress. Have a think what you could do to release the bad stresses.

What is an ELSA?

An ELSA  (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) is a specially trained professional who works with children to support their emotional intelligence. We all have emotions. Emotions are necessary to be a functioning human being. Sometimes, we may need a little bit of help to be able to understand our emotions. That's where an ELSA can support.

Who is the ELSA at Southglade Primary School?

My name is Mrs McCarthy. I am the ELSA at Southglade. I have been trained by Educational Psychologists to be able to offer interventions to children who might need support with their emotions.

Interventions include

Anger management, bereavement support, anxiety worries, confidence and self esteem and friendship worries.

Sessions are confidential unless I feel a child is unsafe or I need to liaise with parents, carers or teachers. The child usually has a target that we can work on together, for example , a child with anger may try to use a learned strategy, like breathing, instead of losing their temper. 

I love my ELSA role as well as my Learning Mentor role. I am always happy to answer any questions about ELSA and can be contacted at school by email julia.mccarthy@southglade.nottingham.sch.uk

Mrs McCarthy ELSA

Here are some useful contacts if you need support this World Mental Health Day.

Place 2 Be          place2be.org.uk

Young minds       youngminds.org.uk

Calm                   thecalmzone.net

Childline           free number       08001111

Samaritans       free number        116123

kooth                kooth.com

me and my mind             meandmymind.nhs.uk 

papyrus hope line uk       papyrus-uk.org         

Hi everyone,

How is everyone feeling? I don't know about you but I'm getting a little fed up of all this rain. So just to make you feel a bit happier, here is the sunshine and blue sky.

Happy Wednesday.

Yes Wednesday can only mean one thing. Wellbeing Wednesday. Enjoy your wellbeing lessons today.

This Friday is World Sleep day and I know that sleep is something some of you struggle with. So here are some top tips for a good nights sleep.

*Try and have a bath or shower about 1 hour before you go to bed.

*Don't drink fizzy sugary drinks before bed. Stick with water.

*Make sure your bedding is clean and fresh.

*Don't let your bedroom be too hot or too cold. Find a nice temperature.

*Try not to use devices like phones and tablets at least an hour before bed.

*Make your room really dark or use an eye mask.

*If noise is a problem, try ear plugs.

*Some people find listening to relaxing music or a sleep app helps them to go to sleep.

Welcome to Wellbeing Wednesday!

Remember Mrs McCarthy's top tips for great wellbeing...

*Exercise, maybe a walk, run, moving!

*Help others, help someone out. It feels good.

*Learn something new, research a topic, learn a new skill.

*Notice what is around you (mindfulness) Look up!

*Connect with others safely, by phone, email, talking, video calling.

*I would also recommend a great nights sleep! Go to bed early.

Enjoy your day.

Hello,

Have a think how you could be expressing yourselves this week. Maybe through art, dance, writing. Watch the videos from Place2be for inspiration.

Mrs McCarthy

It's Friday! Another week has gone by.

Remember every day try to ...

*Exercise

*Help others (it makes you feel good)

*Learn something new

*Notice what is around you. Look up!

*Connect with others. Call, write, message safely.

Mrs Adams has found this wellbeing grid of activities for children in school and at home to try.

Happy Wednesday 13th January,

Below is a link to a site where there are lots of ideas for home learning and wellbeing. Parents and carers, do take a look.

Sleep

Getting enough, quality sleep is so important for all of us. Children need sleep to be able to concentrate on their work. When we don't get enough sleep we often feel grumpy, tired, irritable and sometimes our mood can be very low.

Here are some top tips for a good night's sleep...

*Try to have a good routine.

*Go to bed at a reasonable time

* Have a bath or shower and relax in your night wear, or something comfortable.

*Try a nice warm drink. Something like drinking chocolate or warm milk.

* Make sure the lighting in your room is not bright and when sleeping try to have a dark room.

*Listen to some relaxing music. Nothing that is going to make you want to dance!

*Read a book or a magazine in bed. Something fun...not scary.

*AVOID DEVICES! They stimulate your brain and will keep you awake.

*Try some gentle stretches before bed.

*Listen to an app....rainfall, birds, gentle relaxation music.

Below is a video , It's called Yoga for kids. Yoga can be very relaxing and it's worth a try before getting ready for bed.

Mrs McCarthy has top tips for staying well.

Every single day try too...

*Exercise. This could include a daily walk, jog, game of football in the garden, skipping,  online class.

*Learn something new. Look for online courses, read a book about a new subject, google a subject or person.

*Notice.  Look around you! There are things you have never seen. Look up! (mindfulness)

*Connect. Call a friend or family member. Email, text,  do it safely! Speak to the people you live with,

*Help  Helping others makes you feel good and gives you a happy feeling. Try it.

Here are some useful places to turn to, if you need to talk or need support with your mental health.

Child line 0800 1111

youngminds.org.uk

Samaritans 116123 or text 07725909090

kooth.com

calm helpline 0800 585858 (campaign against living miserably)

HOPE line uk 0800 0684141 papyrus-uk.org

As always, you can contact a learning mentor  julia.mccarthy@southglade.nottingham.sch.uk

lisa.chambers@southglade.nottingham.sch.uk

Hi,

Below is a link to a CAMHS YouTube channel. There are videos on there for primary aged children and secondary. I would like to recommend watching the lady Sarah, who has long dark hair. She reminds me of me! I think she talks in a way that you will understand, as I hope I do (I try). Hope you give them a watch. I really like the one about worry.

Mrs McCarthy. 

Hello Everyone,

Please take some time to go to our bereavement page below. If you feel you might need some support right now, there are some websites to visit that may help. Also some activities to try.

Mrs M.

ELSA SUPPORT

The lovely Debbie at ELSA support has given permission for children and adults to download activities. See below. Mrs M.

See the links

 Check out the links for some great advice on anxiety and worries about illness or if someone you know has died. Mrs M.

Mrs McCarthy is a trained ELSA.  ELSA stands for Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. This means that she can deliver specifically planned interventions to children who may need support with emotions. Areas covered include anger, behaviour, anxiety, confidence and bereavement.

Mrs McCarthy is also trained in Mental Health First Aid and so some of her ELSA work includes mental health support.