The Pause Breathe Smile Classroom Hauora competition exists to celebrate the work educators are doing to support tamariki wellbeing. Held over Term 2 annually, the competition asks educators from Primary and Intermediate schools to share what they are doing in their classrooms to nurture healthy young minds.
Entries are judged on a variety of criteria including impact, creativity, evidence-base and originality. In 2024, our winning classroom received a staff morning tea with Sir Ashley Bloomfield and a Mindfull Furniture sanctuary from Mindfull Spaces for their classroom.
Throughout the year we share these entries via our social media channels to inspire and acknowledge this important work.
Any primary or intermediate school in New Zealand can enter. One entry per class. Each class can submit one entry and show the whole class approach. If there are submissions from individual students, the teacher selects one that best represents their classroom. Schools can submit multiple entries, as long as they are from different educators and classrooms.
Term 2, key dates announced mid-Term 1. Judging is done over the Term 2 holidays with winner announced in early Term 3.
Teachers submit an example of their classroom’s mind health initiative and support this example with a video, photos, or document, that explains what it is that their class does. We are looking for creativity, impact, evidence-base and originality. If the school is a Pause Breathe Smile school, examples of how the class brings elements of the programme to life.
