Dubai, UAE: Pupils of all ages enrolled at the four Dubai-based Cognita schools, the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, Ranches Primary School, Horizon International School and Horizon English School, joined 65,000 young people across 14 countries on Friday 30th September to take part in Cognita’s fourth annual Global Be Well Day (GBWD).

Global Be Well Day is part of Cognita’s Be Well Charter, a curriculum that has been designed to educate the school group’s community of 90+ worldwide schools about the importance of looking after their mental and physical wellbeing and the six contributors to wellbeing that include, Sleep, Diet, Exercise, Connecting, Doing and Giving. For the duration of one school day every year, Cognita schools around the world focus on one or more of the main contributors to wellbeing, a fundamental aspect of a Cognita Education. GBWD activities this year focused on educating the pupil, staff and parent communities about ‘diet and nutrition through the lens of sustainability.’

Beth Kerr, Global Director of Wellbeing at Cognita said: “Wellbeing is a top priority for us at Cognita. We don’t just want to talk about wellbeing, we want to set an example to our community by getting everyone involved with fun and engaging experiences to give them the opportunity to see wellbeing in action. This year, our Global Be Well Day activities were focused on educating our pupils, teachers and parent community about nutrition and how a sustainable, balanced diet leads to a happier and more fulfilling life. We wanted to show them how they can prioritise and take ownership of their own wellbeing and the powerful benefits of doing so.”

Arther, Year 5 Pupil at The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai said: “It was so much fun seeing our Principal in her giant pea costume and Mrs Sajida dressed up as a talking tree! I learnt so much today about sustainable healthy food and that it is important to do your daily activities to stay healthy and happy.”

Pupils at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai took part in a range of different nutrition-focused activities that saw pupils in Year 6 compete in a MasterChef competition hosted by Luigi Vespero, Director of Food and Beverage at the Waldorf Astoria, DIFC. Pupils in Year 1 were given the opportunity to learn the art of healthy sandwich making with Le Pain Quotidien and pupils in FS1 learnt about different types of fruit and how to make tasty and healthy smoothies. Year 4 pupils also learnt about how traditional food is grown and prepared in Malawi in partnership with The Sparkle Foundation.

Ranches Primary School pupils took part in a number of food-focused activities that included a parent-led workshop on how to build a healthy lunchbox with Nutritionist Ciara Nolan, and outdoor activities in the school’s garden space which saw them plant fruit and vegetables, make bird feeders and develop a wellbeing library. Staff and parents also embraced the Global Be Well Day activities and took on the ‘row around the Cognita ME family of schools’ challenge which saw them collectively row 60 kilometres.

Horizon English School pupils took part in a carousel of activities throughout this year’s Global Be Well Day that included dance and yoga classes, mindfulness sessions, orienteering and a collaborative art project around the theme of from farm-to-table. Children in the upper year groups also worked in teams to create their own nutritious smoothies, under the guidance of The Bell Café. The school’s staff were invited to an energising sunrise yoga session at a secret location and parents were invited to join conscious parenting coach and clinical hypnotherapist, Fiona Latif, who spoke to the parent community about conscious parenting. She also shared tips on how to raise empowered, resilient and conscious children with a focus on healthy habits.

Pupils from FS1 to Year 12 at Horizon International School had an unforgettable start to Global Be Well Day this year, as they took part in a ‘wake and shake’ morning of dance and exercise on the school field. Children in FS also learnt about the cultural history of Malawi and how to make the traditional dish, Nsima, in collaboration with The Sparkle Foundation.