Forest School students reach out to their elders
FOREST Primary School held coffee afternoons this week to help promote wellbeing in pupils, staff and the community.
Grandparents and guests from care homes enjoyed refreshments, games, book readings and general chit-chat with children from Reception to Year 6.
The three-day event had more than 100 attendees.
Year 3 teacher Jessica De La Rue said it was focused on promoting a healthy mind.
‘Every two years we do something called mission week,’ she said.
‘We mix all the year groups into their house teams, and they do a range of different activities each day. This activity is all about being healthy and active.
‘But being healthy isn’t all about being fit, it’s also about mental health.
‘We’ve been looking at the five ways to help wellbeing which are give, connect, learn, notice and active.
‘And giving to others and the community can help our mental health and the mental health of others.’
Donald Mawson, a resident at Le Platon, added: ‘It’s been very good indeed, they are very bright little chaps, great at explaining the games.’
Tables in the hall were full of children and adults enjoying different games, reading books and exchanging stories – something which the pupils thought their guests had appreciated.
Year 3 pupil Jessica Graham said: ‘They’ve loved the tea and coffee, the biscuits, and the games. It’s been really fun, we’ve been playing dominoes.’
Heather Bisson, grandmother to two pupils at Forest School, said that children benefit from interacting with older people.
‘It’s a great idea for them to interact and play games with different generations,’ she said.
‘I play with my granddaughter all the time, but perhaps some children don’t have grandparents to play with.
‘We are valuable in children’s lives because they learn different things about the past from their grandparents.
‘If we don’t pass these stories on, they will never learn them and understand the importance.’
Year 1 teacher Hannah Mills, said the event had been a success.
‘It’s the first time we’ve done something like this, to this scale with a mixture of children of all ages,’ she said.
‘It’s been a real success, and so many of the care homes have told us it’s a fantastic idea.
‘Hopefully when these people leave today they will have a smile on their face and feel happy.’
