We Are A Happy Mind School!
My Happy Mind is an innovative programme that cultivates emotional intelligence and mental well-being among pupils in schools. Through engaging activities, mindfulness exercises, and interactive lessons, My Happy Mind empowers children with the skills to understand and manage their emotions effectively. Implemented within our school curriculum, this programme fosters a positive classroom environment where pupils feel supported and equipped to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and optimism. By promoting self-awareness, empathy, and positive thinking, My Happy Mind not only enhances academic performance but also fosters a culture of kindness and compassion within our Hawkesley community. With its holistic approach to mental health education, My Happy Mind equips pupils with essential life skills that extend far beyond the classroom, laying the foundation for a happier, healthier future.
The My Happy Mind programme consists of 5 modules taught over 5 half terms. They include:
- Meet Your Brain – The children explore the science of their brains. They learn about the Amygdala, Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex and ways to manage their emotions (Happy Breathing).
- Celebrate – The children celebrate their character strengths and discover ways to utilise these in their lives to let their light shine for the good of all.
- Appreciate – The children are taught the vital skill of appreciating the people, experiences, and things we have. They are taught to develop an attitude of gratitude, so everyone feels valued and appreciated.
- Relate – The children will learn all about understanding how we can have good relationships with other people. Our children will learn how to understand and celebrate how we are all unique. This will be linked to our character strengths.
- Engage – The children will learn how apply all the previous module’s learning so they feel good and then do good! We also explore how to set effective goals and work towards their ambitions.
My Happy Mind extends its benefits beyond the school walls by providing resources and strategies that can be easily implemented at home. Parents and caregivers can utilise the programme’s mindfulness exercises, emotional intelligence activities, and resilience-building techniques to support their children’s mental well-being in the comfort of their own homes. By incorporating these practices into daily routines, families can create a nurturing environment where children feel understood and supported. Additionally, My Happy Mind encourages open communication within families, fostering meaningful conversations about emotions, empathy, and self-care. By empowering parents with the tools to promote their children’s mental health, My Happy Mind strengthens family bonds and promotes a positive, nurturing home environment.
My Happy Mind doesn’t just benefit pupils; it also plays a vital role in supporting staff mental health within schools. By providing teachers and other school staff with training and resources on emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and resilience, My Happy Mind helps create a supportive and empathetic school culture. Staff members learn valuable techniques for managing stress, practicing self-care, and fostering positive relationships with colleagues and pupils. Moreover, the programme encourages open communication and collaboration among staff, creating a real sense of community. As a result, teachers and staff feel better equipped to navigate the demands of their profession while prioritising their own mental health and well-being. By investing in staff mental health, My Happy Mind contributes to a healthier, happier school environment for everyone involved.
Here are some quotes about My Happy Mind from those in our school community:
“We use happy breathing each day. I use it when the children are about to begin a challenging piece of work, when I can feel the emotions rising or when we need to reset our minds, ready to take on new information. The audio files have been great. I have had children bring in their own Happy Breathing scripts they have created at home and let them share it with their friends in class. Giving children the ownership over Happy Breathing has meant they are more likely to engage and do it unaided at home or at school.” – Class Teacher
Through delivering My Happy Mind to the children in my class I have been able to develop a greater understanding of my own emotions and how my mind works – recognising times when I need to stop and reflect and, in my own way, using happy breathing to help to regulate myself. I have also gained a greater understanding of my own character strengths, understanding areas where I feel confident and am able to support and develop others, but also becoming reflective of my own goals for self-improvement. This has helped me, not only in a my role as a teacher, but also in relationships outside of work, such as with my own children.“ – Class Teacher
“My child loves myHappymind. He always talks about how it helps him during the school day and we do it on the way to school. Mental health is so important and I am so happy the school is taking steps to creating a good environment that teaches the children the importance of looking after their mental health. My son speaks a lot about his characteristics like they are his superpowers. He is now even teaching his older brother who is going through GCSEs at the moment. Thank you. ” – Parent
” It’s really encouraging not only as a parent but as a parent governor of the school to see that the school is taking a positive approach toward mental health in school. It’s really encouraging to see that the school is taking time to speak to not only the young people in the school but also the parents and staff by having discussions, parents and pupil workshops, and collective worship which are focused on engaging the pupils. My eldest daughter who is now in year 9 who went to Hawkesley Church Primary throughout her primary education said it’s about time primary school started to identify and talk about a happier mind from younger age because we go into secondary school and it’s a massive and scary place and we have so many new emotions and don’t know how to handle them. So, hearing this from her and then hearing from Mr Barnes about the work done in My Happy Mind Lessons focusing on Character Strengths, Happy Breathing, mindfulness etc is very reassuring as a parent. Hearing about the statistics shared by Mr Barnes in the last LAB meeting about the improvement of gratitude was amazing and so reassuring to see.”
– Parent Governor
And of course, our amazing children:
“My Happy Mind helps me when I feel nervous. I used to use it just at school but I now use it at home to help me control my brain and tell myself it is all ok.”
“I loved learning about my character strengths. I use them more now because I know that’s what I’m good at and know what I need to work on to be even better.”
“We do happy breathing every day in class and it helps me so much. My teacher plans it in so we can focus more and be happier. I have started to do happy breathing on my now too.”
“Learning about ‘Team H-A-P’ was fun. I liked that I now understand my brain more and how it works. I used it when we did our Class Collective Worship so I could remember all my lines. It has helped me a lot.”