Students at Wellington Heights Secondary School in Mount Forest have been learning about mental health and wellness throughout the month of May in support of Mental Health Awareness Month. Coordinated by Head of Guidance, Ms. Rowden, along with the WHSS Mental Health Committee, staff organized Mental Health Mondays throughout May, which culminated in Mental Health Activity Day on Monday, May 25th.
On Monday, May 4th, staff handed out free fruit to students at the beginning of the day to encourage students to eat a good breakfast to start each day. Additionally, Student Council provided ice cream sundaes to students during lunch time. On Monday, May 11th, fruit was distributed once again during the morning, and learning videos and lessons related to mental health were shared by teachers to their students during class. At lunch time, students and staff were invited to participate in karaoke in the cafetorium, and prizes were handed out to participants. Throughout the week of March 19-22, a free brunch was provided to students by Ms. Rowden and the Head of Family Studies, Ms. Reed. Each day a different grade was permitted to come to the cafeteria for a breakfast wrap, fruit, and hashbrowns as a way of promoting the importance of healthy eating.
On Monday, May 25th, staff organized a wide variety of different wellness activities across the school, and all students were invited to participate in an activity for an hour during Mental Health Activity Day. Activities included playing board games, participating in a scavenger hunt, working out in the weight room, playing sports and lawn games in the gym and on the playing field, making crafts, colouring, reading, playing music, watching a movie with popcorn, rock painting, cooking gourmet ramen, and playing string games.
