A Christmas Donation Brings Festive Cheer to Riverside Meadows - St Neots
Riverside Meadows is currently undergoing a major revamp of its therapeutic offering for our students and our partnership with Dream Drops and St Neots Rotary Club couldn't have come at a better time. We are truly grateful for their offers of support for our sensory room, and we are looking forward to helping raise some money and working with them again on several other environmental projects around the school.
“We are developing a partnership with Dream Drops and the Rotary Club of St Neots and St Marys to develop the sensory offering we have available at Riverside Meadows Academy St Neots. Sue & Richard (Rotary Club of St Neots and St Marys) and Mike (Dream Drops) visited us today to deliver a sensory tent and accompanying tactile equipment, which will enhance the experience of all of our students. We are delighted, thank you for your generous donation – what an amazing early Christmas Present.”
– Claire Heseltine, Assistant Head Teacher
"It was really lovely to visit you today. Thank you for showing us around and introducing us to some of your young people. The work you do with your pupils is clearly something that they benefit from and enjoy. Your staff have a wonderful relationship with them and it was our pleasure to be with you and help in a small way." - Sue Shaw, President of the Rotary Club of St Neots & St Marys
"The sensory room at Riverside Meadows St Neots will be a safe space where students who have become heightened, due to their social, emotional and mental health needs, can go and be supervised whilst they calm down using a range of techniques and equipment. We know from other schools that been able to control the lighting and sounds the student is exposed too helps reduce the time a child is in crisis and allows them to return to the class room quicker so learning is not lost. The space is also used to teach children about different mindfulness techniques so they can self-regulate in school, at home, or when they are out in the community, and therefore prepares them for life beyond the school gates.
The support of charities like Dream Drops and the Rotary Club of St Neots and St Marys by way of donation, allows us to allocate further funding towards the curriculum and therapeutic offer, in the pursuit of providing ever-increasing engagement and opportunity for students.
So once again, echoing Claire’s thoughts, thank you for the early and generous Christmas present!" - Andrew Armstrong, Co-Head Teacher
