I have been reading about the Leeds 'Be Healthy!' Challenge...

Schools across Leeds have been taking part in this years 'Be Healthy!' Challenge and the organising committee are now asking us, the adults,to do one small achievable thing to improve our health.

They suggest the following physical activity challenges...

• walk around the block a fixed number of times;
• walk with friends during your lunchtime break;
• pace yourself with a pedometer and set a target for the number of steps you do each day;
• take the stairs instead of the lift;
• Teach a friend to dance, or get them to teach you;
• park further away and stride to work.

They also suggest the following to improve your emotional well-being:

• when sending e-mail include a message of goodwill, inspiration and motivation;
• spend time each day listening to music;
• learn to say good morning in another language each week;
• have lunch with a colleague;
• read something from a good book every day;
• get out for some fresh air every day;
• if you need it ask for help;
• be kind to fellow motorists;
• avoid getting angry;
• spend time listening to your children;
• learn a new joke to tell every week;
• keep a compliments diary;
• be positive about the people you know;
• talk about the things that are worrying you;
• do someone a favour;
• switch off the TV and spend time with your family and friends;
• learn something new;
• volunteer;
• set off early;
• make lists.

Great stuff. So what are you going to do?

Chris

I have just read 'harmony', the new News Magazine of the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard in Leeds...

It is a brilliant collection of stories and articles celebrating the best of Leeds which I hope everyone will read and learn from. Wouldn't it be great if every school in Leeds had the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard!
Chris

I went on to the official opening of the Primrose and Shakespeare Learning Campus...

The school looks fantastic. Many people said that we would never deliver the new school but thanks to the brilliant partners at Investors in the Community and the vision, passion and commitment of colleagues in Leeds City Council led by David Outram and Education Leeds led by Robert Douglas and Shirley Parks we have delived something brilliant which has been brought alive by a great team of colleagues led by Liz Talmadge, Tonia Bowden and Julian Galton. The school was supposed to be opened by Hilary Benn MP but sadly he was called to a meeting of the new Government and in his place Cllr Ricahrd Harker did the honours.

It was a wonderful celebration and the rain stayed away.
Chris

If you missed this you missed something really important...

I started the day at the 'Sustainable Schools: Time for Action' Conference at the Leeds College of Music. Paul Hudson, BBC Look North Weatherman, and Dr Jake Reynolds, DCSF (DCSF is the new Department for Children, Schools and Families) Senior Adviser for Sustainable Development, both did short presentations before the participants went into some fantastic workshops sessions.
At the event we are hosting for the first time the Leeds Sustainable Schools Young Person's Summit which has brought together children and young people from primary and secondary schools across the city to discuss their hopes, aspirations and ideas. There is also a marketplace where partners and schools are sharing their ieas and projects.

I also finished the day at the Conference with a question time and the awards to the two schools who had been runners up and the winner of our competition to find a logo for our sustainable schools work. The winner was Westbrook Lane Primary School who received £300 worth of garden centre vouchers... their entry was wonderful.

The Conference was brilliantly organised by Steve Ruse and colleagues from the Health Initiatives Team and was a partnership between Education Leeds, the National Association for Environmental Education and the Geographical Association supported by United Co-op.
A BRILLIANT DAY!
Chris

My colleague Barbara brought a poem back from her holiday...

A SMILE FOR YOU
Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner and someone saw me grin
When he smiled I realised I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile, then I realised its worth,
A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected
Let's start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!

Thanks Barbara... you made us all smile.
Chris

I also met the ABC Parent Support Group...

I had been contacted by Susan McDonagh who is the Chairperson of the Leeds ABC Suport Group. Susan and the other group members wanted to see me to discuss their concerns about provision for children and young people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition. I hadn't realised that new studies indicate that the number of children with autism is 25 times higher than the accepted figures in the 1990.

It was a really helpful meeting and we agreed to work with the group to review and develop our provision which would involve further developing the wonderful STARS service and building on the excellent provision for children with autism at the NE SILC West Oaks, Windmill Primary School and St Mary's Catholic High School.
Chris

I went on to Barwick in Elmet Primary School...

This is another little primary school doing some brilliant work. I caught the end of their concert where the children were showing off their musical talents to the school and parents... some really talented young people played flutes, clarinets, violins, recorders and bassoons!

Peter Doherty also showed me the brilliant intiative his colleagues have been working on with the Elmet Partnership of Schools. The project, which was funded by Education Leeds, is called 'Planet Protectors' and they have produced a huge resource pack focusing on green issues, sustainability and the environment. Every school in Leeds should have a copy!
Chris

I started the day early at Shire Oak CE Primary School...

Mark Edwards and his team have done a wonderful job during their first year as Shire Oak CE Primary School. Mark wanted to show me some of the best of Shire Oak and I met a group of children who were brilliant adverts for the school; a confident, articulate, positive and wonderful group of young people who talked to me about all the things they were doing and the things they liked about their school.

I was also introduced to a fantastic project which involves five Leeds schools... 'Grow It, Cook It, Film It' involves children growing their own vegetables, cooking them and filming their work... the children filmed me in their garden talking with them and it was already loaded onto their site before I left the school... it was another little piece of magic!

All of our amalgamations have been interesting but this has been a real success and shown us what we can achieve with strong support from headteachers, staff and governors.
Chris

'Get Smarter in a Week' appears to bear out the growing belief among scientists that making simple changes to our lifestyle can lead to significant improvements in how well our brains function...

The programme found that a combination of techniques based on healthy eating, physical activity, sound sleep and stimulating your mind through solving puzzles and remembering lists makes people sharper, more confident and better at making decisions.

THE GET SMARTER GUIDE
Saturday
Brush your teeth with your 'wrong' hand and take a shower with your eyes closed.
Sunday
Do the crossword or Sudoku puzzle in your Sunday paper and take a brisk walk.
Monday
Have oily fish for dinner, and either cycle, walk or take the bus into work.
Tuesday
Select unfamiliar words from the dictionary and work them into conversations.
Wednesday
Go to yoga, Pilates or a meditation class, and talk to someone you don't know.
Thursday
Take a different route to work; watch Countdown or Brainteaser.
Friday
Avoid caffeine or alcohol; memorise your shopping list.



Why not try it!

Chris

Laugh and the world laughs with you...

It's always important to see the funny side and to have a sense of humour, because laughter is another of those powerful things that makes you cleverer. Research proves that laughter reduces inflammation, enhances respiration, increases the number of immune cells, decreases cortisol, and most importantly it increases natural endorphins, the body's natural mood enhancers... a bit like chocolate!

We all need to create time for fun and laughter in our busy lives. So...

• Be quirky;
• Laugh at yourself;
• Laugh at situations not people;
• Invite laughter during conflict and tears.

Chris