By Miss Munro-Hall, Head of PSHCEE

Children’s Mental Health Week 2021 took place from 1-7 February 2021. This year’s theme was Express Yourself.

There’s never been a more important time to prioritise mental health, so our Year 9 Wellbeing Reps made videos showing how they were aiming to raise awareness and also how to express themselves.

In form time, classes discussed the importance of self-expression – how to communicate your individuality, whether that’s through words, art forms like writing, drawing, music and dance, or what you wear or your hairstyle.

Self-expression can help you show your true self – how you are feeling, your emotions and thoughts. But we are often surrounded by people who tell us how we ‘should’ look, speak, think and act, making it hard to express our true selves. Self-expression can help us reflect on beliefs, thoughts, relationships, decisions and life – instead of keeping them buried deep down. It can also help us connect with other people – both during the good and bad times and lead to better communication and collaboration within communities. 

Further activities included: 

• Have a go at defining yourself  –  Make sure that your definitions aren’t overly narrow or limiting.   Keep yourself open to new experiences, talents, interests, passions, and opportunities.    Being an adolescent is all about creating our own identity and expressing it!
• Pick a quotation that means something to you
• Debate whether YOLO means you can do and express yourself in any way you like. Year 10s discussed the YOLO video by George the Poet.