The Mind Matters: A Week of Wellbeing
Today is World Mental Health Day, and as teaching children about how to take care of their minds and emotions is of paramount importance, we took the opportunity this week to run a series of events connected to this topic. And it isn’t just the children who need to develop those skills and be supported by their peers; it is also the staff and the families who need that TLC.
Bayman House children, led by Mrs Long and Mrs Lee, delivered a beautiful assembly on mental health and shared advice and tips, such as ‘be active, eat well, drink water, and get enough sleep’. Something we can all do better at! Also messages about how we impact each other – ‘be kind to others and yourself’, ‘have time each day to be calm’. Hearing from other children sometimes has a deeper resonance than from an adult. As the children explained that our mental health can go up and down, and that sometimes these feelings can last longer and become harder to manage, there was a shared understanding in the Prep Hall that no one is immune to the stresses of life. There was advice on how to spot if a friend is struggling and who to talk to, to help them. The assembly finished with a breathing exercise, giving us all a moment to feel grounded and calm.
As part of Bayman’s House week, we all donned hats today with the intention of keeping our minds cosy. A simple, visual way to emphasise to even our youngest children that we do have to actively take care of our mental wellbeing. It certainly brought plenty of joy to the morning drop-off, as children were greeted with staff wearing colourful woolly hats, baseball hats and even hats with ears. Likewise, the children joined in the fun, spreading smiles throughout the day in their own creative headwear; from hats with faces, giant burger hats, light-up, wiggling ears and even a dancing turkey hat! Sometimes a little bit of silliness can make the whole day feel brighter.
It’s also been a week focused on supporting our staff. We are fortunate to have such a passionate and dedicated team at Brentwood School, and it’s important that they feel supported too. On Wednesday, we hosted our annual pop-up Menopause Cafe, which brought together men and women of all ages for open and meaningful conversations to better understand one another. Today, we are running Tea and Talk sessions throughout the day at both the Prep and the Senior School, giving staff the opportunity to drop in and have a chat with members of our Senior Leadership and Pastoral Teams. This afternoon, we also welcomed parents from across the School for their own Tea and Talk session, an open invitation for a friendly conversation and connection.
This morning, was our termly parent support group for those whose children are perhaps on the path or already diagnosed with a special educational need. Such a broad term that covers many different realities. This group, hosted by Mrs McConnaughie and members of our SEND team, embraces the chance to learn from each others’ experiences. I particularly enjoy joining this group as the vulnerability offered between parents and staff is remarkable. Everyone’s journey is different, but finding those connection points can be a genuine life changer.
As a whole Prep School event, this year’s Harvest Service, led by Revd Dr McConnaughie, and music led by Mrs Romhany, was a chance to reinforce our School Value of Virtue. The topic being about recognising our own greed and how this might impact on the needs of others. As always, donations from Brentwood Prep families were incredibly generous. The Brentwood Foodbank, helped by our House Captains collected the bags and bags of food and bath products, quickly filling their van. The act of giving to others, as I wrote about in a previous blog last year, is known to have a positive impact on our own mental wellbeing.
I am delighted to announce the first recipient this year of the Head’s Award. Tiwatoni used his love for astronomy to create his very own website. Unprompted, this website includes lots of information about space, showing diligent research, but also has bespoke features like a space quiz, where visitors to the site can input their own name, creating a personal touch. Each element has been created with a keen eye, and we’re super proud of him.
Have a lovely weekend.
Alice Goodfellow
Head of Prep
