We thought it would be a great idea to share the activities undertaken by students, as part of our health and well-being program. The general health and well being of our students is paramount, in order for them to be effective learners and thinkers. Good mental health is a growing concern in our world, as young people face many difficulties and stresses not experienced in previous generations.

Our health program focuses on not only the physical , but also the development of mental, emotional and social wellbeing. In support of the area of mental and emotional health, some of our senior students have been part of a program set up by the school, to help and encourage them to deal effectively with stress and to develop strategies to assist them with living in the fast lane of the 21st century. Whilst understanding that some stress is good and in fact necessary in everyday life, the students were asked what sorts of things they found repeatedly stressful or difficult to deal with. Here are some of their responses:

“Over commitment. You take something on, then you have to practice or rehearse or train and you have no time to yourself”

“Not being able to say no”

“Naplan testing”

“Expectations of parents”

“Parents separating or getting divorced”

Some proactive and practical ideas to deal with stress were introduced to the students which included relaxation, massage, yoga and exercise, (Zumba).

Exercise

For something different, we acquired the services of Amy, a Zumba teacher, to come to our school and teach the students a child-friendly version of the popular Zumba dance /exercise program. The children found this program fun, exhilarating and exhausting.

Student responses: “Zumba is really fun and energetic. ”

“Zumba helps you forget your worries because you have to focus hard on the moves”

“Energising, amazing…wish we could do it every day”

“Zumba was so much fun. It gave me a nice feel. I liked the way everyone joined in. I would definitely follow up on the idea of doing it”

Relaxation

Each student came equipped with towel or mat and a foam rubber pillow, removed their shoes, found a quiet place on their own and learnt, over the weeks to let their troubles and problems go, as they sailed off into the sky in a hot air balloon for a wondrous adventure, or travelled beneath the ocean to visit King Neptune or dreamt of what they would do if they had 3 wishes, focussing on the idea that each individual can make a difference.

Student responses: “If I could, I would do a relaxation after school if there was a teacher who would teach it”

“Relaxation helped me use my imagination and helped me relax”

“I wish we could do it all term”

Yoga

Claire, a local yoga instructor, introduced students to the history of yoga and its benefits for wellbeing.

Learning correct breathing techniques and some interesting, if not unusual ,yoga positions, gave the students some laughs but also some wonderful ideas to take away with them.

Student responses: “Yoga brings out a different world in me and it is definitely relaxing”

“I had never tried yoga before and I liked using my imagination”

“It was fun. Claire was very good teaching it. I would love to keep doing it”

Massage

Massage is something that is done across the school from years 1-5. Students have been practicing massage for over a year now and are quite proficient at it. Many like to use their skills on parents, thus learning the joy of not only receiving but also giving.

Student responses:

“I like making people feel comfortable and relaxed”

“You always have to do work at school. Massage doesn’t make you stress. You get to really relax”

“It calms my brain”

“It makes me ready for my work. My brain is fresh”

“Stress builds up in my head and massage lets it all go”

“It relaxes your brain so you can focus on your work”