Bell Let’s Talk Day is on January 26th- What’s Happening at Brownridge?

22 Jan

Dear Brownridge families,

COVID-19 has presented unprecedented issues and concerns for our community, our country and the world. As we focus on keeping our families and ourselves healthy and containing the spread of COVID-19, we must also keep ourselves mentally well. The uncertainty about the COVID-19 virus, significant alterations to daily routines and structures, and changes to social interactions with important people in our lives can result in accumulated stress.

 What can we do? At Brownridge,

  1. We continue to promote a sense of belonging,
  2. Each morning during student entry, music is played over the PA system,
  3. Words of inspiration and a daily dose of funny (a joke) are shared over the announcements each day,
  4. We practice gratitude,
  5. We “drop everything and CARE” (Calm and Resilient Everyday) every Monday where were engage in a school wide activity promoting wellness and coping,
  6. All teachers have been provided with a resource called “Everyday Mental Health Classroom Resources” (check out this resource on our school website here) to implement various activities in the classroom,
  7. We have a virtual Zen Den for students to help with calming and coping,
  8. Videos and slides have been shared with teachers to use in the classroom to promote calming, coping, and well-being.

From January 24th to January 28th, there will be an increased focus on well-being. Bell Let’s Talk Day is happening on January 26th. This week, our SWAT team (School Wellness Action Team) will be implementing various activities to promote well-being with our students. Connecting, talking, listening, and taking action are imperative to making a difference for our students. Helping to end the stigma around mental illness can help people seek the help they need and create a positive change. One of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness is overcoming the stigma of having a problem and asking for help. It is the number one reason why two-thirds of those living with mental health do not seek help. Together we can strive to make things a little better each and every day.

What can you do? Attached you will find a Bingo Board with various activities you can do at home as a family. Engaging in and talking about well-being activities can promote dialogue, thinking, and action. Some of the items on the Bingo Board may need to be adapted to suit the needs of your family/location. Come up with different activities/actions together and see what a difference they can make. The Bingo activity is attached to this email.

For more ideas and insights, visit https://letstalk.bell.ca/en/. You can also visit https://www2.yrdsb.ca/ to find resources that support mental health, well-being, and coping. 

Let’s keep talking, let’s reduce the stigma, and let’s make a difference!

Joe Gold

bingo-self-care-activity-2022Download
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