Who we are Primary Schools Primary Schools Project In October 2013, after conducting a pilot among primary schools in Cork, we published and distributed 11,500 mental health information leaflets to all 6th class pupils in Cork City and County. This gave rise to requests coming in from Primary Schools to come and deliver presentations on mental health to both 5th and 6th class groups. As a result our mental health promotion & education programme was developed. Our Education officer, Martina Ryan works with 5th and 6th primary school pupils throughout the County. Topics covered include: What is mental health? Who are your supports? Food & Mood Sleep Social media Coping skills These talks are free of charge and available to all primary schools in Cork City and County. For further information or to book a talk please contact Martina on [email protected] Testimonial: On behalf of all the staff, I want to thank you once again for your most helpful talk on Tuesday last. The feedback was very positive and we have been chatting informally about many of the issues that you raised. Hopefully, we will be in contact again soon Sincere Thanks for the wonderful workshop you gave to the students recently. The students learnt a lot and were delighted with the lovely resources you gave them. Martina Ryan from Cork Mental Health paid a visit to our school, Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh, Cobh, to speak with the sixth classes here. She was extremely well-prepared and informative whilst also being so relatable to the children. The presentation took the form of a Powerpoint covering all aspects of Mental Health and a discussion with questions afterwards. The content was specifically targeted at 10-12 year olds. The children really engaged with Martina and asked questions they may never have had the chance to in a regular classroom setting. Her visit also began a discourse on Mental Health in our school as more children and teachers became aware of this topic. A number of children spoke to school staff in the aftermath of the presentation about difficulties or anxieties they had been experiencing or also just with questions that they had on the topic. The importance of good sleep, nutrition and exercise were particularly emphasised in the presentation which is very important as the children transition into secondary school. We are so grateful to Martina and Cork Mental Health, we plan on having her back on a yearly basis going into the future For more information please contact our Education Officer Ms. Martina Ryan on 021 4511100.