On Tuesday our Year 9 students participated in a series of workshops related to different aspects of their wellbeing.

Our guest speaker was Vicky Murphy who runs Awaken Life Coaching. Vicky also happens to be an ex-pupil of Otago Girls'. The focus of her presentation was learning some skills to tame the negative self-talk we sometimes have going on inside our heads. She also shared some calming techniques we can use when we are feeling stressed, worried or under pressure. The students rotated around four different workshops throughout the day. Yoga was a new and challenging experience for some, while discussing the effects that sharing gossip can have on friendships, was enlightening for others. Ms Taylor our new Counsellor explained the science behind anxiety and what we can do to manage this, while some of our Year 13 PE students taught Year 9 some new games. Exposing our students to a range of strategies they can use to enhance their own wellbeing is a focus at Otago Girls'. 

 "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". (Benjamin Franklin).