Happy Head, Happy Heart: Recent Episodes
Samantha Gray
A Mental Health Podcast for Kids!
Listen to Mrs Gray chat with fellow colleagues and guests about some of the important issues we face in life right now. Gain an insight to how we can address and explore the mental health issues facing the children of Aberdeenshire and beyond.
Season 1, Episodes 1 - 10 - recorded during April, May and June 2020 during Lockdown. Stress Response System, Growth Mindset, Gratitude, Perspective, Brave, Nature and Mental Health and Bereavement are some of the topics we explore. All episodes are made with children in mind with one episode aimed at adults only.
TAke a trip down memory lane with our P7 class of 2021 as our hosts ask questions about their memories of Balmedie Primary school. We round off the podcast with their rendition of Wellerman's Sea Shanty with an incredible guitar accompaniment by Enzo Tizzano.
In this episode we catch up with our Primary 2 classes whilst they were den building in our Magic Woods. They tell us all about their learning and about their creative Human and Hedgehog Hotel! We also explore the story Sneezy the Snowman. This is our last Christmas episode for 2020 but we will be back next year!
This week are joined by Primary 6 again who share their favorite Christmas Cracker jokes. We also a little tune form Primary 1 as they pass the window on their 'Jingle Walk' and two readings from some of the Primary 6 pupils.
It has been a while since we had a Happy Head Happy Heart episode but over the next few weeks we will be sharing 'Christmas Special' episodes. These episodes are going to be run by some of our children in school with P6 leading the way this week. Tune in today to hear their short radio play that tells the Christmas Story form the poor Innkeeper's point of view. Then there's a little reading of 'Rudey's Windy Christmas' and finally a real podcast Christmas Chit Chat. Hear what their Elves have been up to, what Christmas traditions happen throughout Balmedie and what they love to eat on Christmas Day!
In the final episode this session we speak with our incredible Head Teacher - Mr Ford. He answers some of the children's questions including what kind of sandwich he likes and also how many keepy ups he can do! He also addresses some of our really important 'Back To School' questions that the children wanted to ask him.
The Happy Head, Happy Heart Podcast will be back after a summer break. We have some great guests lined up for you. In the meantime - Happy Summer!!
Sit back and enjoy Mrs Gray read the story 'The Lion Inside' and then listen on as the incredible Will Smith gives an incredible insight to 'Fear' and what happens at maximum fear point!
In this episode I speak with the super smiley Miss England and be both explore the subject 'Brave'. You'll find out that everyone feels scared and fearful at times and Miss England explains how she overcomes her fears and worries. This episode has two podcast supplements. Listen to the story 'The Lion Inside' and an audio of Will Smith's incredible speech about 'Fear' in Episode 9 - EXTRAS. Enjoy!
This week I have an incredible chat with our Outdoor Learning Expert Mrs Duncan. We discuss the science behind the mental health benefits of the outdoors and how we can use nature to find a place of calm. Mrs Duncan gives us an insight to bird song mindfulness and I find out why my clematis plant is helping my mind! There is no story accompanying this podcast this week.
On this week's podcast we speak to our incredible Pupil Support Staff and have a wee catch up. We see what they have been up to over lockdown. This was recorded in May.
A lot of time, effort and learning went into this little musical numbers. Mr Munro really learned alot and had to persevere with some tricky technical obstacles. We didn't know how to do what we managed to do - which was the most brilliant thing about lockdown... pushing us to be more creative and learn how to do things we never would have dreamt of doing. Here we learn the uke part, the song, the timings, the technical recording, the sound quality fiddly bit and some self-harmonizing by me! Is it perfect, no, who cares. We LOVED doing it. And that is what it is all about,,, the joy, the happiness of doing something you love.
The second installment of my chat with Mr Munro on perspective, joy and happiness. We talk about resilience and explore the power on the cinnamon roll! We explore the power of 'yet' and the perseverance we had with our musical ambition to record a song whilst being apart in lockdown.
IN this chat myself and my wonderful colleague Mr Munro talk about our utterly favorite things - perspective, joy, happiness and incremental growth - the baby steps for developing. We explore the brilliance of failure and why we have to fail to grow, This is a biggie guys and so I split the podcast into two parts. Stay tuned for the EXTRAS where Mr Munro and I tackle our Isolation Musical Project. It saw many tries and many failures!
A meditation just for kids! My amazing friends Susi talks us through a beautiful meditation that we can use to relax ourselves and find calm.
At the end of May I caught up with Miss Crowder to discuss gratitude, what it meant and how we could be more grateful in the current lockdown phase. I also caught up with one of our school mums who did an incredible meditation for us. Susi's meditation can be found on our EXTRAS episode.
In May my Seasons for Growth Mentor Graham joined me to explore the cycles of grief and how in the times of COVID and beyond we can process grief. We discuss the ways Seasons for Growth can help us process grief and change. This is great episode full of easy to listen to support for children.
In this EXTRA podcast my friend Paul is back to tell us some stories he tells when speaking with families and children after a death in the family. funerals
This episode was recorded back in early May with a good friend of mine Paul. We both run the Seasons for Growth programme in Balmedie and we wanted to share some insight for those who have, were or are dealing with bereavement. We explore some areas that are COVID specific and offer some guidance for parents. This is not aimed at children.
Recorded in May listen into Mrs Gray and her colleague and friend Miss Mylles discuss the power of 'Yet'. We explore the words we can use to help us express ourselves and what to do when things get tough and we can't do it... YET!
Listen to the very first HHHH Podcast recorded back in April, before real microphones were used and I was just starting out. Here Mrs Gray introduces you to the Stress Response System, what has happened in your brain and why you might be feeling, or ever feel a little wobbly. Some great science to explain what our brain does in those wonky moments and what we can do to slow the system down.