JAGS Senior School Celebrates Wellbeing Week
Last week we celebrated Wellbeing Week in the Senior School and it was wonderful to see the community engaged in a wide range of activities.
The week began with an informative assembly from our Year 13 JAMHFA (James Allen Mental Health First Aiders) team. They introduced themselves and the important role they have in our community. They also announced the exciting activities that they had helped to plan for the week.
Speaking to Year 13 student and Deputy Head Girl Jhenica about the role that JAMHFA have in our JAGS community, she said:
‘Lockdown was one of the many things that opened my eyes to the importance of mental health. Through joining JAMHFA I hoped to educate myself on mental health, as well as learn how to help people struggling with mental health whenever I could. Being a mental health first aider has taught me to recognise mental health problems and guide people towards appropriate professional help. I have enjoyed having open discussions about mental health with the JAMFHA team. These inspired me to write a wellbeing journal for a charity called Off The Record. Additionally, I have enjoyed being able to organise mental health surveys and discussions to ensure that all the voices of JAGS students are heard. I have found the experience extremely rewarding so far and I am looking forward to doing more with JAMFHA.’
Throughout Wellbeing Week, there was lots of therapeutic big colouring-in in the Holst Hall, alongside origami, knitting, reading time, yoga, Pilates, mindfulness, decorating Russian clay dolls, pebble painting and enjoying the space and fresh air in our beautiful grounds. Pupils of all ages took part and new friendships were formed.
In speaking about Wellbeing Week, Year 13 student Hannah commented,
‘There is not a single aspect of well-being that is not timelessly relevant and universally significant. Our school champions and celebrates consideration and self-awareness. We must learn to be kind to ourselves, and a week dedicated to this mission is a week well spent! I cannot emphasise more the importance of happiness and health – over the past year I think we have all had trouble traversing such a time while maintaining this. But now that we are back together again, a school such as ours that is built on community and support must take every opportunity that we can to maximise happiness and health. Sharing tactics, methods, handy tips, anything that we have found useful to focus on our mindfulness and well-being is the most wonderful way to exercise the thoughtful community our school has established.
During Wellbeing Week, I have loved seeing people from all years contributing to one another’s well-being, and supporting each other’s challenges and obstacles. The preparation period was exciting, and allowed the JAMHFA team to really personalise this week to suit us as a student body. Being given creative freedom over this week, with of course as much guidance and support as we need at hand, gave us a real sense of achievement and pride, and the wide array of activities and opportunities that we and our brilliant faculty have been able to offer only amplifies this!’
A big thank you to the JAMFHA team and to all members of staff and pupils involved in making our Wellbeing Week such a success.