Wellbeing Activities
At The Beacon, wellbeing is one of our core values that we strive to actively improve upon and promote throughout the school all year round. To mark World Mental Health Day on Friday 10th October, we organised a range of activities to educate our boys and raise awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing.
To support the National Literacy Trust initiative #Take10toRead, our boys in Years 3–8 participated in a Drop Everything And Read session, taking ten minutes to immerse themselves in a good book. Reading plays a vital role in the development of young minds, with proven benefits including enhanced empathy, reduced stress and improved emotional intelligence.
To further support mental wellbeing, our pupils in Years 7 and 8 went for a refreshing jog around Willsfield, as organised by Mrs Rowland. This outdoor activity not only encouraged physical exercise but also helped clear their minds. Jogging outdoors is known to release endorphins and reduce stress hormones, making it a great complement to the calming effects of reading.
One of our Year 3 classes watched this video before getting creative to make their very own glitter jars! The intention of the jars was to enable our younger boys to shake these and watch the glitter swirl around to help act as a calming activity and release tension. Another Year 3 classroom joined a colouring club as colouring is another healthy way to relieve stress.
Pre-Prep got involved with mindfulness activities, taking part in a yoga class with Miss Jones and Miss Sharratt. They practiced different breathing techniques, as well as a variety of yoga poses to stretch their bodies before break-time. They were also introduced to different resources to practice this at home, if they wish to!
Some of our pupils in Years 5 & 6 attended a mental health nature walk too, finding natural resources to build their very own autumnal wreath.
To showcase our wider commitment to mental health, we have also created a short video highlighting the support structures we have in place.
On Thursday 20th November, 7:00pm – 9:30pm in the Old Barn at The Beacon, we’re inviting our Beacon Community to take part in a ‘Talking Pre-Teens Workshop’ hosted by Supporting Links, which offers valuable insights and methods to support teenagers during these important years of their development. To book the session, please click here.
