The Amber Flag is an organisation to promote positive mental health, by reaching out to Primary and Secondary schools, youth reach, third level institution, community groups and companies to create healthy, inclusive environments that support mental well-being. The Pieta Amber Flag enables school and youths across the country to promote positive mental health. We received Amber Flag status in the year 2023/2024.

The Amber Flag: On June 20^th, 2024, our school was awarded the Amber Flag for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. At the beginning of the year, we set up a committee which compromised of two students from each class, two SNA’s and three class teachers. The Amber Flag team met twice monthly and discussed activities we could do for both for students and teachers to promote positivity. We started by created a video, which we shared with each class, explaining what the Amber Flag project was. We highlighted our bright Amber Flag board, updating the school of meetings, competitions and events which we hoped to complete by May 2024.

Events: We focused on a wellbeing theme monthly such as resilience, friendship, respect, peer pressure and physical activity. We called February 14^th ‘Positivity Day’- which was a day for mental health awareness- with a Friendship theme. The students designed beautiful posters for a competition which was entitled ‘What is a good friend?’ The students were given a non-uniform day to dress in colourful clothes, wearing their most positive colours. The amber flag committee gave each student in the school a blank leaf to design. The leaves were assembled, and we made a ‘School Positivity Tree’ which hangs proudly next to our Amber Flag board. The committee created posters, delivered treats to all classes and the staff took part in a quiz.

Motto: ‘A smile speaks every language’.

Fundraiser: The 6^th class students and Amber Flag team held a Jumble Sale for all the school to attend. There was a bake sale, face painting, races, a long puck, table tennis, raffle and a jumble sale. This was a huge success and enabled us to raise valuable funds of €950 for Pieta House.

The Amber Flag Choir: For the first time in the history of the school, the Amber Flag committee established an ‘Amber Flag Fun Choir’. Each Thursday morning students from 2^nd to 6^th class joined together to sing in Ms. Bennett’s classroom. We also held a Choir breakfast at the beginning of May to thank the students for volunteering weekly. The choir performed under the sun on June 20^th. It was a huge success with parents, students and teachers proud of their hard work. The choir gave children another way to use their voice and spread positivity throughout the school.

Amber Flag Committee: Megan Barry (Junior Infants), Daithi Rohan McInerny (Junior Infants), Alicia Belka (1st Class), Hayden O’ Sullivan (1st Class), Niamh Mc Grath (2nd Class), Adam Barry (2nd Class), Hayley Rohan (3rd Class), Krysztof Madej (3rd Class), Cian Macintosh (4th Class), Ava McCarthy (4th Class), Isaac Doyle (5th Class), Alexis Hutchinson (5th Class), Anastazya Belka (6th Class), Liam Sheehan (6th Class), Claire O’ Halloran (Coordinator), Colm Kindregan (Teacher), Kathleen Keogh (Teacher), Lauren Reddy (SNA), Noreen Ahearne (SNA).

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped Scoil Mhuire N.S. achieve Amber Flag status during the school year 2023/2024!

                                                                         Amber Flag committee 2023/2024.