The World Health Organisation constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." An important implication of this definition is that mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities. Mental Health is a state of well-being in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”

Here at St. Vincent de Paul Senior School, we value the wellbeing of the whole school community.

We endeavour to create a positive and supportive environment enabling all members of our school community to thrive and flourish. We want our pupils to feel safe, secure, seen, heard and valued.

Weaving Wellbeing

As part of our SPHE programme we use Weaving Wellbeing. This programme is devised to give children the opportunity to weave positivity into their daily lives through a range of activities in a variety of areas. These areas include identifying and using their authentic character strengths, boosting positive emotions, developing and nurturing positive relationships and connections, building practical resilience skills (including mindfulness) and developing self efficacy through empowering beliefs.

Buddy System

Our Buddy system is one of the highlights of the year for our 2nd and 6th class pupils. The pupils engage in organised fun and educational activities throughout the year. Many of the activities are organised in tandem with seasonal celebrations, for example last year the pupils had lots of fun making daisy chains during Friendship & Wellbeing Week, obstacle courses were set up as a fun challenge during Active Week and a big Céilí Mór went down a treat during Seachtain na Gaeilge. The 6th class pupils are wonderful role models for the younger pupils and take great pride in sharing their experiences, skills and knowledge with the 2nd class pupils. The Buddy System is beneficial for both the younger and older children and contributes to their development, in particular their social and emotional development. 

Friendship Week

Every year we take time to dedicate a week to recognising and celebrating friendship. The aim of this week is to encourage our pupils to be more conscious of the importance of friendship and to promote activities and events that foster the development of positive friendships.