A Message From The Rector
This week an article appeared on the BBC website. It is a story on Mike King, the mental health advocate who toured New Zealand on a moped to raise awareness of adolescent mental health issues. In this video, our assembly, where he spoke, is featured. I have included it with this newsletter.
I recommend you watch it, not because we are in it, but because it is I think a very good and safe conversation starter. I am not a mental health expert, but as an educator of young men for over 25 years and someone who in my last 3 schools has had the terrible experience of teen suicide, I know that the more that we acknowledge the thoughts and emotions young men have, the more we might save.
In assembly this week, I talked about the negative self-talk that adolescents engage in. That voice that tells them they are not good enough, smart enough, quick enough or whatever. That voice is real, even in our most 'successful' young men. I encourage you to help your son deal with that voice - to flip the negative self talk into a positive voice. I am not good enough, to, I will be good enough soon.
Every little bit helps, especially as we know resilience is a learned behaviour, not a natural behaviour.