Shanahoe school awarded first ‘wellbeing’ flag by Pieta House
Pupils proudly show off their new Amber Flag, which they received from Pieta House
SCOIL Fionntáin Naofa, Shanahoe was delighted to be awarded its first amber flag from Pieta House for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing across the school in 2024-2025.
The board of management, staff, pupils and parents of the school acknowledge that wellbeing is both an enabler of learning and an outcome of learning and, to that end, all of the different stakeholder groups worked in collaboration to ensure that mental health and wellbeing promotion was given a central focus in the school.
Scoil Fionntáin Naofa’s hard-working and proactive pupil council, which is comprised of representatives from infants to sixth-class, had a dual role to play, in that they also assumed the role of the amber flag committee, also known as the ‘wellbeing warriors’ and pupil participation and voice was front and centre in the promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing.
The amber flag initiative at school level was co-ordinated by school principal Barry Whelan, while deputy principal Johnny Watson had responsibility for school self-evaluation (SSE) for wellbeing, together with active schools, and his work in these areas dovetailed nicely with the school’s goal of achieving the amber flag.
Sports, fitness and daily activity are all prioritised in the school as being enablers of wellbeing, as espoused in the new , in which physical education rightly falls under the umbrella of wellbeing in the new subject specifications.
Commenting on the amber flag initiative at school level, Mr Whelan said: “Participating in the amber flag initiative was a very worthwhile endeavour this year. Essentially, it gave wellbeing development and promotion a central focus in our school community. The formulation of specific targets together with associated actions for achieving them made the pursuit of wellbeing across the school something collaborative, manageable, achievable, meaningful and purposeful for all concerned.
‘‘The formulation of the amber flag committee ensured that pupil voice and participation was to the forefront at all times and to all intents and purposes, the pupils led out on achieving the amber flag award this year and they are to be highly commended in that regard.”
See more photos frim the celebrations in Shanahoe NS in next week's , on sale in all local stores from Tuesday next.
