Art

PJ day....

With the fun of the Olympics, I haven't yet shared about the fabulous PJ day we had a couple of weeks back. This is an article that was sent in to the Warrandyte Diary, our local newspaper. It may or may not be published due to their available space, and thought it worth including here to see what went on at ACPS on PJ day.

Wear comfort meets wellbeing

It’s not often you can roll out of bed and be already dressed for the day, but that is exactly what happened for students at Andersons Creek PS on their pyjama day. Dressed in comfy pjs, dressing gowns, onesies and fluffy slippers, the students enjoyed alternative classes which focused solely on well-being. The classes on pyjama day had students’ emotional, social and physical needs in mind. Throughout the day, students enjoyed engaging in classes with yoga, boardgames, lego, mindfulness, sports and art. 

In the yoga classes, the comfortably-clad students learned some breathing exercises and stretches. These exercises could be replicated by students in other situations to help relieve anxiety and promote a sense of balance. 

Playing boardgames encouraged students’ social connections through inclusivity. 

Students had the opportunity to practise being a good sport regardless if they won or lost, and to have fun along the way.

In Ms Misra's Lego Challenge group students worked in small groups to create their ultimate bedroom out of Lego. Students used their creative design skills to imagine rooms with slides, ball pits, bunk beds, yoga studios and all sorts of wonderful features that resulted in some very impressive dream bedroom designs.

Ms Bailey’s mindfulness group explored how our mind is like a vase full of clear water. Our feelings, experiences and ideas are like coloured sand swirling around in the vase. Mindfulness is noticing the coloured sands but letting them settle down to the bottom and leaving them there for now. It is sitting in the present and clearing part of your mind. Students practised mindfulness with a guided meditation about the beach whilst each holding a real shell as a prompt. Ms Bailey said, “It was wonderful to see what a positive experience it was for so many children to have three minutes of a quiet visit to a beach in their mind. I loved hearing about all the different types of beaches they went to and the connections they made to happy memories from beach holidays.” 

In PE, the highlight was a thrilling game of Capture the Flag. Teams strategized, raced, and dodged to capture the opposing team's chicken while protecting their own. The energy was high as students cheered on their teammates and tried to outsmart their rivals.In addition to Capture the Flag, students also enjoyed other team-building activities. They participated in tunnel ball, parachute games and other cooperative challenges that required teamwork and communication. These activities helped to foster a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship among the students.

The art classes embraced the goodness that creativity offers to overall well-being. Continuing the pyjama theme, younger students modelled plasticine to create a 2D picture of a teddy bear and older students made a no-sew travel pillow. Using their imaginations and being creative helps people of all ages to reduce anxiety, improve self-esteem and process emotions; great skills indeed for our students to learn to enhance their sense of well-being.

To complete the pyjama day, students enjoyed some popcorn while watching Inside Out in the theatre. This movie helps us understand how our emotions affect us and that all emotions have a purpose. The pyjama day was a great day had by all. 

It was very successful in fostering fun memories and promoting a strong sense of well-being in our school. The students ended the day not only feeling comfortable and cosy, but with a feeling of content and a smile on their faces.