Healthy school programme at Gimnazija Bežigrad
Theme 22/23: “All of us for a better and brighter tomorrow”
Theme 23/24: “Kind words foster good relationships”
Theme 24/25/26: “For a safe and inclusive school environment”
Leader: Domen Hren, PE teacher
Activities
Healthy School Corner
The Healthy School team has set up a Healthy School Corner in the school lobby, where we post current announcements and weekly “motivational quotes.” The students on the Healthy School team are responsible for keeping the corner tidy.
Healthy and varied menus for school snacks and lunches
Students can choose from different menus each week: e.g., meat, vegetarian, vegan, diet, and similar options. Students can choose from these menus throughout the year, on a weekly basis.
Daily fruit offering in the hallways
We have 10 baskets distributed in the school lobby and hallways, where students on duty for the Healthy School programme (before classes and during the main break) bring fresh apples, tangerines or bananas, which they pick up from the school kitchen. We believe that many students do not consume enough vitamins daily, and the fruit is very popular during breaks, as all the baskets are empty by the end of the school day.
Secure bike-park: we encourage teachers and students to come to school by bike
The bike rack is locked, and students can only activate the lock and open the door using an app. This ensures that bikes are secure and locked away from potential thieves.
Promoting blood donation within the school
Every year, we organize a blood drive in which teachers and students of legal age participate. “Blood connects us all and is irreplaceable in modern medicine. One in four people on Earth will need blood at some point in their lives. Every blood donor is thus a hero who saves lives.” Since we are aware that there is a constant shortage of blood in Slovenia and that it is desperately needed, every year we encourage students to donate blood and organize a drive for everyone willing to donate some of their blood.
Opportunities for organized and independent sports activities for teachers and students in the afternoons and evenings
Since physical activity is so important and people relax, collaborate, and connect in a different way during sports activities, we have made additional hours of sports activities available to school staff in the afternoons, which they can participate in according to their preferences.
Currently, they can choose from activities such as badminton, fitness, swimming, table tennis, and yoga. Students also have the opportunity to participate in additional sports activities, including volleyball, dance, soccer, and frisbee. We also offer individual guided training sessions for interested athletes with competitive status.
We also offer individual guided training sessions for interested athletes with competitive status.
Co-funding of entry fees for teachers and students at the Ljubljana Marathon, the DM Run, and similar events.
By co-funding entry fees for teachers and students, we encourage participation in sporting events that we consider important and that are well-attended by our school. We believe that many students participate in sporting events (which they otherwise would not) because the school covers the entry fee. Encouraging students and teachers to participate in sporting events is extremely important to us, as such events are much more than just sports—a healthy mind in a healthy body.
Marking Important Health-Related Days Throughout the Year
Students on the Healthy School team create a poster to mark and raise awareness among other students about various international and national days related to health and sports, such as:
- World AIDS Day – December 1,
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month – October,
- World Health Day – April 7,
- World Cancer Day – February 4, 2,
- Slovenian Sports Day – September 23, 9,
- European Week of Sport – September 23–30
First Aid Course
We organize a first aid course for 11th-grade students and provide them with the opportunity to take the exam required to obtain a driver’s license.
“Think of Your Heart” Workshop
Our former students, now medical students, visit once a year to give presentations to students on coronary heart disease, prevention, and appropriate measures.
Active Recess
Every Friday during the main break, students from the Healthy School team set up board games (mini hockey, mini soccer, mini billiards, mini table tennis) in the school lobby or outside, where students socialize and have fun playing these games.
Dogodek spremlja glasba, za katero skrbi eden izmed dijakov tima Zdrava šola. Poleg izbora glasbe upošteva tudi glasbene želje dijakov ter tako prispeva k prijetnemu in sproščenemu vzdušju.
Interclass competitions
Organization of interclass competitions in various sports (soccer, basketball, and volleyball). First, students from each grade play against one another, and then, on the last day of the week, the winners from each grade compete against one another. This determines the school champion.
The classes bond closely with one another, as there is a lot of cheering for their own class, and students also socialize across grade levels.
The competition is organized by students from the Healthy School team, and they are also assisted by PE teachers. At the end of the competition, the awards ceremony is also important, where the winners receive the trophy for the best class.
Solidarity Aid
The Healthy School Team, together with teachers, organizes the collection of voluntary monetary and other donations in the event of natural disasters.
Sports Roundtable and lectures by Guest Speakers
This is an annual event where students invite well-known athletes and sports professionals to a roundtable discussion. It generally takes the form of a conversation (interview) or a presentation prepared by the students themselves. Each presentation is followed by questions from the students. The event takes place during the 4th, 5th, and 6th periods. Students may attend the event only with the permission of their teacher—and the number of seats is limited to tickets that students reserve in advance. The presentations take place in the lecture hall, library, and reading room; they are led by students from the Healthy School team.
Lectures by Guest Speakers:
Invited guest speakers talk about following topics:
- Perfectionism,
- The Dangers of Using Firecrackers,
- Mental Health of Young People,
- Communicating with Adolescents,
- The Challenges of Growing Up,
- Online Safety,
- Illegal Substances,
- Challenges of nightlife
Test tubes of kind thoughts and wishes
Students are increasingly exposed to violence—and psychological violence even more so.
Objectives: To brighten the students’ day and, through short messages and thoughts that we distributed randomly in their lockers, wish them the best day possible and remind them that they are not alone in this world, and that asking for help is one of the hardest things to do, but at the same time also one of the most important and powerful things they can do for themselves.
