50p
Mental Health Awareness Day 1
Instead of the typical Saturday morning consisting of frenzied cleaning and academic classes, this past Saturday the Grade 11s were able to participate in a day of learning and talking about mental health. Mental Health Awareness Day was put together by Ms Murray and B-Well to give the 11s the chance to discuss our own mental health and learn from others about their experiences.
With different learning groups going through different stations, each learning group was divided into two and each of these groups went through the day’s schedule in a different order. Some groups started off with a workshop with a staff member where they discussed mental health and things that they could do during the day to improve it. The Alex/Whittall learning group specifically discussed how physical exercise can help improve mental health.
The most impactful part of the day was the student/staff panel where several Brentwood students and staff members discussed their experiences with mental health and what strategies helped them get through dark times in their life. This was very eye-opening for a lot of students because we never would have guessed that our peers or teachers had gone through certain struggles. This allowed for a lot of reflection about our own mental health.
Cam M, Whittall ‘22, agreed, saying “Having people I see around the school all the time stand up and talk to us about their struggles made me realize how much we don’t know about what a person is going through and why it’s so important to always be kind.”
The day concluded with the 11s split up into four groups which each participated in a different relaxation activity. The four activities were a drumming lesson, a nature walk, an introduction to meditation, and a yoga lesson. Each student got to choose what activity we wanted to participate in, allowing us to have an hour of relaxation where we didn’t need to worry about all the stressful things in our life.
Lucas K, Whittall ‘22, participated in the drumming lesson, saying “It was a great opportunity to try something new and it took my mind off of homework and assignments and all the things that were stressing me out.”
Mental Health Awareness Day was a great chance to acknowledge and discuss how mental health affects all of us; it was a great opportunity to learn about what we should do when we are going through difficult experiences and how the Brentwood community is here to help.
Will P, Whittall ‘22
With different learning groups going through different stations, each learning group was divided into two and each of these groups went through the day’s schedule in a different order. Some groups started off with a workshop with a staff member where they discussed mental health and things that they could do during the day to improve it. The Alex/Whittall learning group specifically discussed how physical exercise can help improve mental health.
The most impactful part of the day was the student/staff panel where several Brentwood students and staff members discussed their experiences with mental health and what strategies helped them get through dark times in their life. This was very eye-opening for a lot of students because we never would have guessed that our peers or teachers had gone through certain struggles. This allowed for a lot of reflection about our own mental health.
Cam M, Whittall ‘22, agreed, saying “Having people I see around the school all the time stand up and talk to us about their struggles made me realize how much we don’t know about what a person is going through and why it’s so important to always be kind.”
The day concluded with the 11s split up into four groups which each participated in a different relaxation activity. The four activities were a drumming lesson, a nature walk, an introduction to meditation, and a yoga lesson. Each student got to choose what activity we wanted to participate in, allowing us to have an hour of relaxation where we didn’t need to worry about all the stressful things in our life.
Lucas K, Whittall ‘22, participated in the drumming lesson, saying “It was a great opportunity to try something new and it took my mind off of homework and assignments and all the things that were stressing me out.”
Mental Health Awareness Day was a great chance to acknowledge and discuss how mental health affects all of us; it was a great opportunity to learn about what we should do when we are going through difficult experiences and how the Brentwood community is here to help.
Will P, Whittall ‘22