Well-being week returned to Coláiste Íde agus Iosef in Abbeyfeale recently with the week aiming to highlight the need for everyone, students and staff, to make time to take care of their mental and physical wellbeing.
Wellbeing week coordinator and teacher, Karen Meade, along with the well-being committee ran a number of activities throughout the week to put the focus firmly on well-being in every aspect of the lives of all.
The school was a hive of activity all week with well-being events running throughout at breaks and lunchtimes, with a number of events also taking place for the junior cycle students during their wellbeing and Social, Personal and Health Education classes.
Well-Being Week Activities
Activities during the week ranged from well-being walks to Yoga, to boxercise to FIFA football competitions.
As part of week the school also ran its first Intercultural Day to celebrate the many different cultures that make up our school community. CII currently runs Wellbeing modules for its students in the Study Skills and Induction programmes that it has developed.
These compliment the extensive Wellbeing programme that the school runs as part of the new Junior Cycle and that it extends through a number of initiatives to our Senior cycle students.
The many cultures that make up the school’s community was celebrated on the day.
Many Cultures – One Community
The motto devised by students was ‘Coláiste Íde agus Iosef, Many Cultures – One Community.’ The day set out to celebrate the diverse heritage of all of the school’s students and staff.
Timetabled classes were replaced with a full schedule of events run by teachers and the 90 TY students which ranged from music, to film, from sport to board games and from dance to cuisine.
Each activity was chosen to reflect an element of the cultures that make up the school community.
Third and fifth year students went the short distance to the Glórach Theatre to watch a movie which highlighted the necessity to accept cultural differences and the issues that arise when we don’t.
Elaine – Proud of Dutch Heritage
A special and huge thanks goes to Elaine Stryker for her outstanding work on intercultural day. She and Jemma Kennedy ran a boxercise class for Well-being Week. Ms. Stryker was a huge driving force in the organisation of the day with Ryan Kennelly and Karen Meade.
She is an Abbeyfeale native, but is also very proud of her Dutch heritage from her father’s side
The school also thanked Tom Madigan and all at the Glórach for being part of the intercultural day. After break the senior students enjoyed a brunch with Anne’s catering hired to supply the cuisine. Understanding the link between cuisine and culture was the aim of the brunch and the students got to sample food from Europe and beyond.
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