Positivity at Ashton all week

ASHTON A+ – Positivity week celebration

Ashton was recently invited by the ISPCC along with other primary and secondary schools, and sporting clubs in Douglas to join the Shield programme for 2017 and become one of the first communities in Ireland to be actively working towards building an ethos of tolerance, acceptance and understanding.

As part of this programme first years have recently participated in a series of workshops on anti-bullying and digital citizenship as well as taking part in marking Safer Internet day 2017. In conjunction with this, and the school’s wellness initiative, we are celebrating Ashton’s Positivity Week with a number of events and activities taking place for students and staff promoting wellbeing and positive thinking.

Students and staff have already begun participating in activities and the Wellness board in the G.P.A. provides details of what you can expect for the week.

There will be student DJs providing music entertainment in the GPA at break and lunch times, a wellbeing workshop for second years throughout Wednesday, meditation for fifth and sixth years at lunchtime in the chapel on Thursday, and ‘Exercise and your mental health’ workshop for fifth year PE students on Friday. First and second years will be invited to take part in a shape challenge, there is a school wide poster competition running all week, a positive message chain, random acts of kindness and more.

This week could not occur without the support of Mr Landen, Ms Hewison and the wonderful RE, SPHE and subject teachers here in Ashton who have embraced the message behind the week and are enthusiastically taking part in activities and events in their classroom and even in their own staff room.

As we get back pre-results and everyone begins to prepare for their final term with some of us preparing for Leacving Cert.  exams in Ashton, it is important to take the time to remind ourselves to be positive and hopeful.  With over 500 students and over 60 teaching and support staff we all have different hopes, dreams, challenges and choices to face.  What we share is our experience here in Ashton, and we would ask that you share in the positivity of this week and enjoy the experience to the fullest.

Positively themed posters created by students support Positive thinking in the GPA.

Posters in French also create a ‘Positive message’ for students. Cross-curricular and multi-faceted.

German language students in Ms. Power’s class, created colourful posters with Positivity thoughts written in German, and were much admired.

Ashton students admiring the work of  German language students for Positivity Week.