The NHS are running a FREE one day course on mental health first aid training for parents and carers of children between 8 and 18 years old. It is on 30th January 930am-4pm and is taking place at Robertson House on Gunnelswood Road in Stevenage. 

Take a look at the attached pdf to find out more about the course structure and let us know if you attend. It'd be great to get people who attend to share their thoughts at a future coffee session. The content looks great and so useful! 

You will learn an understanding of common mental health issues and how they affect young people; ability to spot signs and guide to a place of support; knowledge and confidence to advocate for mental health awareness; and skills to support positive wellbeing.

Join us for our final coffee session of the term this Friday, 8th December. It's on the lower site in the family room from 9am-10am. There'll be some Christmas treats and friendly faces to share concerns with. Look forward to seeing you there.

Would you like to attend a 1 day, free course for parents/carers of children aged 8-18?

From this course you will gain an understanding of common mental health issues in young people, signs to spot and strategies to support them.

This course will increase your knowledge and build your confidence in discussing mental health with young people and raising awareness.

Different dates are available with each ruinning from 9.30-4pm

Please see the attached flyer for more details. 

Supporting Links runs Free on-line courses for parents/carers of children aged 2-25yrs with suspected or diagnosed ASD and/or ADHD.

Please find attached details of courses starting in the Spring Term.  Booking is essential.

Supporting Links offers FREE on-line parent support groups covering a variety of subjects.  
Please see the attached details of courses starting in the new year - booking is essential and are being taken now.

The neurodiversity support hub

This FREE service is for parents, carers and professionals who are looking for support for their child or young person on a range of issues related to ADHD, Autism, distressed behaviours and anxiety. Even better - no diagnosis is required!

They're open from Monday to Friday 9am - 1pm. Call 01727 833963 or email them at supporthub@add-vance.org and they are more than happy to help. 

Hertfordshire’s Showcase of Autism in Schools Programme will be an amazing opportunity for you to hear from professionals and support agencies about supporting children and young people with autism. It is taking place at Robertson House (Six Hills Way, Stevenage, SG1 2FQ) this Thursday (16^th November) and there are 2 sessions available for you to choose from: 930am-1230pm and 1pm-4pm. This is open to all Hertfordshire parents and carers and your child can be either have a diagnosis or be on the pathway for you to attend. There will be a variety of speakers and stalls showcasing all the amazing support and groups available to you. I look forward to seeing you there!

There is a great workshop on Zoom happening on Monday 6th November from 815pm until 930pm to help with managing behaviour in the home. It is being run by a teacher and assessor of specific learning difficulties who has a wealth of information to share. She will focus on some common reasons for difficult behaviour in children and how to develop effective managemnet techniques. Apart from being very helpful, other pros to attending are that your child does not need to have special educational needs for you to take part, it is free and you can take part from the comfort of your own sofa!

https://www.playskill.org/events/2023-11-06t20-15-38-588z-managing-behaviour-with-charlotte-kohnhorst/

Don't forget to share any tips you learn so I can pass them on to other parents!

We had an inspiring first day back at Fairlands today. Mike Mullen, a BMX champion, came to talk to us about how he developed a growth mindset and how by never giving up he went on to become a multi award winner. 

Mike was extremely passionate about his favourite sport and spoke all about how he had to demonstrate the values of resilience and determination in order to become the best that he could. He told us that he got used to making mistakes and instead of thinking of them as failures, he called them opportunities for 'FLEARNING'! 

After an awesome assembly for the whole school, year 5 got to spend the day with Mike learning how to perform stunts and tricks. We are so proud of all the year 5 pupils for giving it a go and showing great enthusiasm! Mike was blown away by the amount of pupils who actually learnt to ride a bike during their session todday. I bet you feel really proud of yourself if that was you! 

Next time you're finding something tricky, think back to what Mike told us - 'We can't do it ... YET!'

Hertfordshire's Showcase of Autism in Schools Programme is being held on Thursday 16th November at Robertson House, Stevenage, and will be an amazing opportunity for you to hear from Hertfordshire professionals about supporting children and young people with autism. 

See the attached flier to find out more about this event and to book your free place.