RCSItogether Bulletin 7 – – New skills, Obesity, Goodie Bags, Enjoy the Arts, Tranquil Photos & A Poem! – 9th April 2020

Dear colleagues
As head to the Easter holidays, I hope you find something useful in the below. As always, these bulletins are for information there is no obligation and contributions are always welcome. A lot of the content below is aimed at topics of interest for you outside of the work environment.  I hope you and yours stay safe and well and enjoy the holidays.

1. #RCSItogether Learning:

   There are a lot of creative courses available to you on LinkedIn Learning – it’s not just for professional skills! If you’re interested in learning to play the piano or guitar, photography, drawing or creative writing – there are lots of great courses available to you for free on the platform. Why not challenge yourself to try something completely different over this long weekend – the positive emotions and sense of accomplishment from learning something new is a good antidote to our current reality.

   Rather than your usual news sources this weekend, take a look at ‘The Conversation’ a website whose tagline sums up what they’re all about “Academic Rigour, Journalistic Flair. It’s an independent source of news, analysis and expert opinion written entirely by academics and researchers from around the world. This website aims to share this expert knowledge in a way that can be easily understood. As well as extensive Covid 19 coverage it also covers topics such as education, the environment, arts, culture, health and medicine.

2. #RCSItogether Health Science:

   Today we would like to share Dr Grace O’Malley’s superb research, resources and contributions related to Childhood Obesity. Dr O’Malley is a StAR Research Lecturer in the School of Physiotherapy, Division of Population Health Sciences.

   1. Health professional education/Health effects of childhood obesity: Stigma in obesity video
   2. Design and implementation of complex interventions: The W82GO Child and Adolescent Weight Management Service which is led by Dr O’Malley. This site provides practical advice and resources for children, teens, groups, health professionals and parents
   3. Health professional education via Dr O’Malley’s work with The Association for the Study of Obesity on the Island of Ireland (ASOI): Please see free podcasts here
   4. Dr O’Malley’s interview on the Pat Kenny show Wed 18th Dec 2019 from 1.28:45.
   5. Between the lines on Newstalk Feb 19 2019 where Dr O’Malley contributes to the debate on issues of children’s health and fitness; the rise of obesity and provision of services and Physical Education in schools
3. #RCSItogether Minding Others:

   We all need a little light entertainment. Amanda Wilkinson and Samantha Henson put together a digital Easter Goodie Bag that you can enjoy with the whole family or give to someone looking for some fun ideas and activities over the Bank Holiday weekend. It has everything from recipe ideas to online digital puzzles to tongue twisters! You can find it HERE on Workvivo or download.

   With the lovely spring weather (hopefully) set to last this weekend, why not set up an obstacle course in your own back garden using items that can be found around the house. This can be a fun and challenging project for all the family, read how HERE.

4. #RCSItogether Minding Yourself:

   How would you like to go to the theatre this Easter weekend! There are a number of different Arts companies streaming productions, so you can experience everything from a lavish opera at the Met to an award-winning one woman theatre performance. We would like to highlight a few cultural activities you can unwind to over the long weekend.

   A new YouTube channel called The Show Must Go On is airing a different Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical each week for free. Each show is aired on the channel on Friday and will be available to watch for 48 hours. Jesus Christ Superstar, starring Tim Minchin, Chris Moyles and Spice Girl Mel C, is being shared this week on Friday April 10th.

   The National Theatre have launched National Theatre at Home, which lets people stream past performances on YouTube for free. Each week a play will be made available from 7pm on Thursdays, and it will be accessible for a week until the next play is shared. The five-star production of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, premieres at 7pm on Thursday 9 April, and will be available until 16 April.

   The hilarious, award-winning, one-woman show that inspired the BBC’s hit TV series Fleabag, is being streamed to raise money for those affected by Covid-19. (This show is definitely for an adult only audience!)

   You can find a links to the different Opera Houses streaming live performances and further Arts and Theatre productions HERE. (Please note some dates may have already passed).

5. #RCSItogether Something different:

   We have had a couple more poetry and photo contributions from colleagues that I’d like to share. < /br>A poem penned by Kitty O’Meara (teacher from Wisconsin, USA in March) has gone viral on social media, easy to see why – we hope you enjoy

And the people stayed home.

And read books, and listened,

and rested, and exercised,

and made art, and played games,

and learned new ways of being, and were still.

And listened more deeply.

Some meditated,

some prayed,

some danced.
Some met their shadows.

And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed.

And, in the absence of people living in ignorant,

dangerous, mindless,

and heartless ways,

the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed,

and the people joined together again,

they grieved their losses,

and made new choices,

and dreamed new images,

and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully,

as they had been healed.

Residents of the Wicklow Mountains like Jim Slattery are not used to being able to get shots like the below without cars, especially outside of the winter months – extra tranquillity!

Have a wonderful Easter break and stay safe
Barry