Showing kindness and caring for others and understanding the importance of supporting those going through difficult moments is an ongoing ethos at St Gregory’s Catholic Primary in Margate.
Children, families and staff reinforced this school value when they took part in the annual Young Minds mental health charity day called Hello Yellow this month.
As part of the initiative pupils could choose to wear an all-yellow outfit or something a little more discrete in exchange for a donation to the appeal.
Reception teacher Laura Wright, who leads on Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education at St Gregory’s, explained: “Lots of us struggle with our feelings sometimes and when this happens it’s tough – it is important to know that there are people around us who can help and that we are not the only ones going through this.”
Pupils across the school took part in various awareness-raising activities to support the Hello Yellow annual initiative. These included creating a ‘comfort creature’ that has all the features that you find comforting in a person or a thing. Children thought about the people in their lives who also had these features and how they may help them when they are having tough or big feelings.
Some children chose to make a badge for a friend that shows all the things that make them who they are and make them great. Another popular activity was ‘doodle what makes you happy’ where pupils reflected upon all the things in life that make them feel smiley and positive.
The Reception year group have been reading the Colour Monster by Anna Llenas. This book has inspired them to consider why they may feel a certain way and how they act upon these feelings.
Mrs Wright added: “It was a very successful awareness day and we would like to thank the families at St Gregory’s for their kind donations to Young Minds charity that will receive £185.28.”
Head Teacher Dave Walker said: “The mental health of children is vitally important and each pupil is nurtured through our ongoing care and wellbeing initiative. The Hello Yellow event gave us a special day to focus on various aspects of what this means for us all.”
Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health. Their aim is to see a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health. They aim for all young people to get the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what.
