Children's Mental Health Week...

Monday marked the beginning of Children’s Mental Health Week and it was great to see the pupils wearing comfy clothes to mark the occasion. Some of the 6^th Form chose comical onesies as their outfit of choice, whilst others opted for PJ bottoms and House hoodies.

Adam spoke superbly about Mental Health in Assembly, emphasising how important it is to talk. 

Today it is great to see you in comfy clothes for the start of Children’s mental health week. Mental health is about our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of ourselves. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of mental health. We've come a long way in breaking down the stigma surrounding mental illness, but there is still much we can improve. Sadly, too often, mental health is overlooked or brushed aside, seen as something that's not as important as physical health. But the truth is, mental health is just as crucial to our overall wellbeing.

When we are struggling with mental health, it affects every aspect of our lives. It impacts our relationships, our work or school performance, and our ability to cope with stress and adversity. And yet, so many suffer in silence, afraid to speak up or seek help because of the stigma that still surrounds mental illness. When going through problems with mental health, it’s so important to talk about it with someone you trust. We need to teach the younger generations to be open about their emotions and the importance of taking care of yourself. And we can create an environment where people feel safe to talk about themselves free from judgement.

If some leave their emotions unattended, it can lead to the use of coping mechanisms to try and numb their pain. An example being in last week’s speaker talking about his battle with drugs and alcohol. He used these substances because of his deep-rooted problems at home and his anxiety. And as he kept it bottled up, he carried on with his addiction for 14 years. And so, I leave you with this. Don’t underestimate the importance of speaking out and let’s eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health. - Adam L6^th Form Lyon House

Prefects' Cake Sale

The prefects hosted a cake sale in the JCR to raise money for our school charity: Horatio's Garden. There was a variety of homemade cakes and cookies, which all went down a treat. It was great to see so many pupils and staff from all the Houses, socialising with friends in honour of children's mental health week. We managed to raise £118 for the charity.  Thank you to all the prefects, pupils and staff for all of your contributions. - Phoebe School Prefect Arion House

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