Author: HorganL

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Ripponden J & I
Mental Health & Wellbeing Newsletter

Issue 2

July 2202

As we come to the end of this academic year, we wish to thank you all for your continued support. With the summer holidays upon us, we have put together some ideas and
information for you during this time.
Wishing you all a safe and enjoyable summer.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Team

MODPATH is an interactive depression and anxiety screening program. This app tracks psychological, emotional and physical health over a two-week period in order to generate a personalized mental health assessment that users can discuss with their physician or therapist. The app also contains an educational component to teach users about the psychology behind their mood, signs of depression, and psychotherapy. It’s one of the best apps that help youth and young adults with mental health struggles that include CBT and wellness.
Devices: iPhone, iPad and Android
SMILING MIND is designed to help people with pressure, stress, and challenges of daily life. This app has a fantastic section on Mindfulness in the Classroom. An especially good choice for the younger users out there, as it was created specifically with students in mind. Smiling Mind offers programs for a variety of age groups, including 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18 and adults. The app has an easy-to-use interface for keeping track of your progress over time, both in terms of how many sessions you complete and how your emotions change.
Devices: iPhone, iPad and Android

Apps to try at home

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School Summer Holidays Whilst it will be lovely for families to spend quality time together during the summer holidays it can also be a time that can cause stress for some families due to a wide variety of reasons. This is a link to a useful article which includes tips and ideas for parents/carers: https://www.guidetolife.co.uk/summer-break-wellbeing/

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#WatchThisSpace Workshops and Activities for 7–17-year-olds Invictus Wellbeing, Edshift and Wellbeings are delivering a range of FREE projects and sessions across Calderdale which connect children and young people with nature. All the projects have been chosen to reconnect children and young people to nature-based activities and help them try something new and exciting. The projects are proven to improve mental health, confidence, resilience and physical health. Click here to book a place.

Healthy Holidays Calderdale
During the school holidays, children and young people who are on free school meals can access free holiday club places through the Healthy Holidays Calderdale programme. This is provided as part of the Government's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. The free places are funded by the Department for Education (DfE). The scheme provides enjoyable activities and nutritious meals for primary and secondary schoolaged children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. For More information or to book a place visit: https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/residents/community-and-living/healthy-holidays-calderdale

Is your child having difficulty sleeping? Are they having challenges with peer pressure? Do they have some struggles with changing routines? Well Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity, have created a great resource full of helpful tips for parents covering a whole range of issues. With quick videos, short articles and practical tips, Parenting Smart helps parents address a whole host of concerns and signposts for further support. Check it out here: https://parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk

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Wellbeing Happiness Contentment Selfcare Balance Health Balance Peaceful Family Joy

BREATH, THINK, DO WITH SESAME is a free app that helps kids learn to deal with frustrating situations using the "breathe, think, do" method. They'll learn to take long, deep belly breaths to calm down, think of a few strategies to handle the problem, and then do those things. They'll develop resilience as they overcome frustrations and challenges on their own.
Even young children aged two to five can become more aware of their own emotions. Breathe, Think, Do features your child’s favourite Sesame Street characters to help teach them skills such as problem-solving, self-control, planning and perseverance.
Devices: iPhone, iPad and Android
CHILDREN’S BEDTIME MEDITATIONS—Anxiety, fear, and stress can lead to sleeplessness. Tiredness can amplify negative emotions. A vicious circle can form. If your child is a nighttime worrier kept from sleep by an unquiet mind, consider Children's Bedtime Meditations for Sleep & Calm.
This app is free and comes with six meditations that can be added to with in-app purchases. The gentle stories, soothing music and soft sounds are designed to calm and distract the mind so that children can drift off to sleep naturally. Try it once, for free, and see how it works. There's nothing to lose and a good night's sleep to gain.
Devices: iPhone, iPad and Android
For more useful apps take a look at:
https://www.educationalappstore.com/best-apps/5-best-mental-health-and-wellbeing-apps-for-kids

Apps to try at home

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Wellbeing Happiness Contentment Selfcare Balance Health Balance Peaceful Family Joy Exercise Love Friendship Safe

The Anna Freud Centre have created these SelfCare Summer packs for primary children. These packs feature a range of creative activities based on self-care strategies that other young people have found useful in helping them stay mentally healthy.
Please click here to access the resources:
Self-care summer | Resources for primary schools, secondary schools and staff (annafreud.org)

Time Out Calderdale – Events Timetable for 10-19 Year Olds Time Out lists FREE activities to support young people aged 10-19 with their emotional health and wellbeing. Have a look at the activities they deliver on the Events Timetable – please email any enquiries to: timeout@healthymindscalderdale.co.uk. Their frequently updated noticeboard also gives details of a host of summer holiday activities for children and young people and their families run by local partners, such as arts courses, outdoor activities, skating, gardening, singing and much more!

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Our pupils are growing up in a world of ever-changing technology. While we feel that the use of technology is a largely positive aspect of modern life, we cannot ignore the risks that can be associated.
Throughout school we aim to teach children:
about the impact of cyber-bullying and what to do if they have been affected.
to be vigilant when communicating online recognising that people may not always be who they say they are and to be sensible about what they share.
to tell an adult they trust if something is upsetting them.
to question the reliability of information given through a web based source.
to search responsibly for information while using internet browsers.
We understand that much of our pupil's use of the internet will occur at home, away from the school filters.
Below is a list of useful websites that you may find helpful when navigating the issue of online safety and social media with your child. At the bottom of this page are resources that your child can directly access as well to help them learn about online safety.
Useful resources and links
Thinkuknow http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Internet Matters https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/esafety-leaflets-resources/
National Online Safety https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/
NSPCC http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/
Childnet http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
CEOP http://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
BBC https://www.bbc.com/ownit
SafetoNet https://safetonet.com/
A guide to Apps & Social Media
The number of apps and social media channels your child could be exposed to grow all the time, as does an app's functionality. We recommend you visit NSPCC social media to read the latest and most current advice on the most popular apps to ensure you know what they do, how you can limit their features as well as recommended age restrictions. The national online safety guides also offers superb information regarding each
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/social-media/
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides (this site does require you to register but has a guide on almost every app that your child may be using)
Resources for children to use
Below are some links that children themselves can access for help when navigating the tricky subject of online safety,
Reception – Year 2
Below are a number of links that are tailored for children in the younger year groups.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/
https://www.netsmartzkids.org/
https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin
Year 3 – Year 6
Below are links more suitable for older children.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/
https://www.nsteens.org/
Please discuss your child’s use of their devices
with them and contact the school if you have any concerns about online safety.
H
Stay Safe! Mr Buckland
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Online Safety at Ripponden J & I School

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Wellbeing Happiness Contentment Selfcare Balance Health Balance Peaceful Family Joy Exercise Love Friendship Safe

Wellbeing Happiness Contentment Selfcare Balance Health Balance Peaceful Family Joy