Page 28 - Herioter 2020
P. 28

OCTOBER








       Minding                             entrances to buildings around the school   Satveer Nijjar’s talk about mental
                                           – one of them notably in the Quadrangle   health and self-harm to all S2 and S3
       our heads                           – as a visual reminder to pupils, staff   pupils. Satveer spoke about her own
                                           and visitors to look after our mental
                                                                                experiences with self-harm and helped
                                           health. Green ribbons were worn by staff   pupils understand the challenges people
       In the lazy days between Christmas and   and pupils to link with the branding of
       Hogmanay in 2018, Lesley Franklin set   World Mental Health Day and to remind   face in managing their mental health.
       out her aspirations for a happy new year.   everyone that we are a community that   Improving mental health is a never-
       ‘My hope,’ she wrote in The Scotsman,   promotes good mental health. Further   ending battle, but by discussing the
       ‘is that the trend towards prioritising   to this, every Senior School registration   subject openly, it is hoped that young
       mental health in schools continues,
                                           class watched the Every Mind Matters   people at Heriot’s will gain the necessary
       and that students are armed with the   clip promoted by Public Health England   resilience they need to live ‘happy and
       resilience they need to live fulfilling and   and were reminded of the Heriot’s   fulfilling lives’.
       happy lives.’                       5-a-day for your mind.
                                                                                Matthew Nichols (S3), Ms Anne
       Such messages are not merely for    The Citizenship programme also had   Connor and Mrs Gemma Hay
       new year reflection, nor for casual   lessons on mental health. Volunteers
       consideration on an arbitrary World   from PsychEd, an Edinburgh University
       Mental Health Day. But World Mental   group of medical students, delivered
       Health Day, which this year fell on   lessons to S3 about anxiety and ways
       October 10, was an opportune moment   to manage stress. Coupled with this,
       to consider what the school is doing to   earlier in the term, all S1 pupils received
       improve the mental health of its pupils.  a Heriot’s ‘Mind Apple’ as a reminder of
                                           simple ways to look after their mental
       And so the S6 Love Your Mind team
       launched a new campaign called ‘Mind   health.
       Your Head’, using banners at the    Perhaps most hard-hitting of all was


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