Today Ms Ellis and I had the whole of Year 10 in the Blue Gym where they presented to their peers in small groups who rotated around the room listening to each presentation.
Naturally we did not get through all 40 presentations but what Ms Ellis and I saw and heard was remarkable. Today’s impressionable teenagers with their exposure to social media and the internet are probably more vulnerable than any generation before.
We almost certainly will continue to see a rise in mental health issues over the coming decade and yet what we heard and saw today filled us both with hope. Year 10 approached their presentations with compassion and maturity: They demonstrated a good working knowledge of a broad range of mental health illnesses such as PTSD, eating disorders and mood disorders. If you are the parent of a Year 10 student please do try to find time this weekend to speak to them about mental health and what they have learnt recently.
Next Wednesday we break up for the Easter Holidays and so this is an incredibly busy last week in school with the culmination of house celebrations, music recitals in Primary and Secondary, the Year 9 Krakow trip, Year 11 Graduation dinner, and of course the Primary school play “Cinderella Rockerfeller”.
May I take this opportunity to thank all of our staff who have given so much this term and especially in the last few weeks in providing so many opportunities to our students: They will certainly need a break come next Thursday!
Alun Yorath
Principal