AISHK WELLBEING UPDATE Janine Haymes, Co-Deputy Head of Secondary shares a wellbeing update with our community, with insights about the evolving and ever-present need for an understanding of what wellbeing really means in a school and personal context. Promoting wellbeing is more important than ever because of the pressures of the modern world. We are bombarded by messages via the media and social platforms. Many relationships and connections are formed and informed via online means. This, in conjunction, with easy access to information about environmental, health, and economic uncertainty has resulted in unprecedented pressure. Hence the need to focus on and teach the skills of personal wellbeing is paramount to a contemporary education. Student wellbeing has been defined as a “positive sense of self and belonging and the skills to make positive and healthy choices to support learning and achievement, provided in a safe and accepting environment for all students”. (Ottawa Charlton School Board, 2014). AISHK has continued to strive to improve student and staff wellbeing. A wellbeing committee was reconvened at the start of the year. Being led by the Deputy Heads of Secondary and Primary, it is made up of staff representatives from across the school; Andrew Wookey (HPE Teacher), Kathleen Ellis (Head of PDHPE), David Emery (Secondary Teacher), Paul McGunnigle (HSIE Teacher and Head of Community Service), Joanna Chan (Primary Psychologist), Bernadette Spencer Secondary Psychologist), Christopher Bird (Deputy Head of Primary, R-2) and Donna Botfield (Deputy Head of Primary, 3-6).
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