All Right? Campaign update: September 2018
Kia ora and welcome to Spring!
It's always lovely to see the daffodils, blossoms and lambs but what we really love about Spring is its effect on people... there's a new energy about. The longer days see us out and about more getting our endorphins pumping while the sunshine boosts our serotonin levels. It's no wonder many see Spring as a natural mood booster.
It's also the worst time of year for hay fever sufferers so we sincerely hope this email finds you smiley not sneezy!
Arohanui,
The All Right? team
Another anniversary
Tomorrow marks eight years since the September 4th earthquake.
It's hard to believe there was a time when most of us didn't know what liquefaction was, road cones were a rare sight and the red zone seemed like something they'd have overseas.
This anniversary will mean different things to all of us. We hope that whatever it means to you, you take a moment to share a little love with those around you and show yourself a little aroha too.
Meet Riwai
The earthquakes taught him to look after himself and he's one of several beautiful Cantabrians who have shared their stories in a new project called Humans of Ōtautahi.
Check out the Humans of Ōtautahi - you'll meet some inspiring local heroes.
Some dates for your diary...
Mental Health Awareness Week will run from 8th to 14th October 2018. The theme is "Let Nature In". There's a tonne of research on ecotherapy and how nature can lift wellbeing.
Find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW).
Making Southbridge School sparkle
When Tamara Bell arrived as principal of Southbridge School in 2017, she was surprised at the number of issues in the playground.
There were times when children were getting angry and arguing, and it could turn physical. There was a lot of swearing, and then as kids got upset or a game didn’t go their way, they would run off and not come back to class.
“We talked a lot about what we could do to get the kids ready for learning and back into the classroom where we could help with conflict resolution, if there were issues at lunchtime.”
They discovered Sparklers - an All Right? initiative in partnership with Schools Based Mental Health Team and Health Promoting Schools Team from the Canterbury District Health Board to help young people build positive mental health and wellbeing.
Sparklers activities were first run in the classroom after break times, to get children “running back into the class to have fun”.
“It had a really positive impact on the kids and teachers, and we saw some noticeable differences really quickly. Sometimes we would have four kids not going back to class. That doesn’t happen anymore. Kids go back to class.”
Tummy breathing, sensory kete, compliment posters and pepeha are among the school’s favourite activities.
Overall, Tamara says Sparklers has made a huge difference to Southbridge.
“It feels like a different school now. It's become a lovely place to be and I can honestly say, it wasn't always like that last year."
Don't forget about downtime...
Downtime Dice are available for purchase from the All Right? website. Let the good times roll!
Mauri Ora
We're always keen to hear your stories, thoughts and ideas. Get in touch with All Right?
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