Mental Wellness Presentations for Grades 6-8

On Thursday, March 11, our students in Grades 6-8 enjoyed listening to Mike Stroh, the founder of “Starts With Me” speak about mental health and how each of us has the innate capacity for well-being. To embody well-being, we must practise taking care of our mind, body and spirit regularly. The goal of building emotional well-being is not to stop difficult thoughts and feelings, make them go away, or only allow good ones. Rather, it is to help develop the ability to notice when they arise within, and how you can manage or cope when they present themselves.

Through reflection and the sharing of his own personal experiences, Mike demonstrated how students can build their own character, self-awareness and resiliency, which are all life skills that promote a positive growth mindset.

Next steps for our students will be to continue discussions and activities during class that further develop their practice of self-care. Learning how to nurture a sense of self-compassion, patience and gratitude will further develop the skills needed to deal with stressful moments, when life feels like it is a struggle.