‘All is calm, all is bright’
Scoil Mhuire’s Support Team launches an innovative pilot Christmas Workshop Programme to support Pupils with Additional Needs
Christmas in Scoil Mhuire Girls’ NS is always a magical time with a buzz of excitement throughout the school, as classes prepare for their Christmas Concert at each class level, our annual Sale of Work in aid of the St. Vincent de Paul, and one of the highlights of our school calendar, the Scoil Mhuire Girls’ N.S. Christmas Carol Service, not to mention all of the other classroom games and Christmas activities such as talent shows etc. While most pupils love the fun, excitement and freedom of these activities, for some of our pupils with Additional Needs, these events can sometimes be overwhelming and the heightened levels of excitement and unfamiliar activities, can lead to increased anxiety levels and even distress.
This year, Ms. Byrne, Ms. Mulrooney, Ms. Hipwell, Ms. Mitchell, Ms. Zaheer and Ms. Fahy from the Support Team worked collaboratively to design and develop a series of educational activities and discovery based learning experiences, creating a pilot Christmas Workshop Programme that offered a structured alternative for pupils experiencing difficulties with the change in their classroom routine, and provided a calm environment in which they could engage in meaningful and enjoyable learning activities. The workshops were offered on a ‘pick and mix’ basis where pupils who were happy to stay with their class could do so, but for those pupils who found the classroom environment difficult at any given time, they had the option to take a break from the hectic classroom schedule and attend the workshop running at that time.
The Pilot Christmas Workshop programme offered tremendous variety of activities to our pupils which included:
- Smart Moves (Gross Motor development)
- Yoga (Wellbeing and Mindfulness activities focusing on elements of the P.E. curriculum)
- Little Chef’s Club (Baking activities with a focus on Fine Motor Development)
- Finger Gym (Christmas Craft activities with a focus on Fine Motor Development)
- Tickle Your Senses (Discovery-based play focusing on elements of the Science curriculum )
- Doodle Club (Christmas Art activities focusing on elements of the Visual Arts curriculum)
- Giggly Games- Games-based activities to support Oral Language and Social Skills development and collaborative play
- Christmas Treasure Hunt (Maths based Trail inspired by the Festive Christmas theme)
With the support of our dedicated team of class teachers and SNA’s, the Christmas workshops ran like clockwork, six sessions available to pupils each day, over eight school days, from Monday December 12th until Wednesday December 21st . Our pupils engaged enthusiastically in the wide selection of activities provided, made new friends, and had great fun in the process.
All in all, the pilot Christmas Workshop Programme has been a tremendously positive development for our pupils, significantly reducing the anxiety and distress which is sometimes exacerbated by the busy Christmas schedule in schools, and offers a wealth of new possibilities for the future in our efforts to support our pupils and to meet their needs.