Schools Newsletter 2021

Welcome back to school! We hope you had an enjoyable summer, and we are delighted to release the eighth edition of the Walk in My Shoes (WIMS) School Newsletter to mark your return to the classroom.

We all know that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult time, but we also know teachers and students in schools across Ireland are working hard to keep positivity going. At WIMS, we have lots of supports and resources to help you and your students boost your mental health and wellbeing at this time.

In the last academic year, due to COVID-19, all our events took place online, so we had a great opportunity to record these events for teachers and students: you'll find all these videos on our YouTube channel.

Our WIMS School Portal now has over 300 teachers registered. If you’re already thinking about your wellbeing promotion, the portal is a great place to start, as you’ll get ideas from other teachers.

We’re delighted to release our new Teacher Year Planner for the 2021/22 academic year. We hope it will assist you when planning all your great initiatives; it’s available for download below (we suggest printing in A2 size). Happy planning!

You'll find all our latest news, helpful information, and links to resources below. All of our classroom resources are available to download here on our website, with more coming throughout the academic year.

If you would like more information or have any queries on wellbeing activities or mental health promotion in your school, we would love to hear from you: get in touch at any time by emailing info@walkinmyshoes.ie.

Entering a new school year with hope

Chief Executive Officer of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS), Paul Gilligan, outlines the tools we need to face a new school year with optimism.

Read Paul's tips here

Treating young people's mental health

Some young people going through mental health difficulties may need professional support.

Find out about adolescent mental health services

Launching new Teacher Year Planner

To mark the beginning of the 2021/22 school year, we are delighted to release a new Teacher Year Planner.

Download the free planner here

Sharing mental health webinars for schools

We host regular webinars and events on mental health topics, aimed to be especially helpful for teachers and young people in the classroom.

Watch our webinars here

Inspiring mental health activities

Teachers and school staff are invited to visit our School Portal, where you can find and share lots of mental health ideas, activities and supports for your schools.

Visit the portal

Finding ways to wellbeing

Is your school based in Dublin 8? We have an exciting opportunity for you as we partner with Smart D8 on a new project.

Learn about our Dublin 8 project

Celebrating wellbeing in primary school

Primary school is one of the first places where children begin learning about mental health. One Cork teacher shares their school's approach and focus on mental health in the wake of COVID-19.

Read a primary school perspective

Creating a positive school environment

A Dublin secondary school's guidance counsellor explains how teachers and students prioritise mental health with lots of imaginative activities and events whether in the class or at home.

See more on wellbeing at secondary level

Experiencing our Transition Year Programme

An Offaly student who took part in our Transition Year (TY) Programme outlines his experiences and the positive impact the programme has had.