The Roman Ridge School is committed to providing a holistic educational programme centred on sound pastoral care for our children. We believe that good mental health and emotional wellbeing are essential to the overall health and development of children, which is an important component of our ongoing, school-wide Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) programme.
On Monday 10 October 2022, pupils and staff of TRRS marked World Mental Health Day with a series of engaging activities across the school.
Junior School pupils participated in a number of activities with their teachers to emphasise the importance of kindness and compassion in their dealings with others and how to deal with negative feelings, which reinforced our theme for the term: Words are Powerful.
Middle and Senior School students had the opportunity to meet with seasoned mental health professionals to discuss important issues affecting adolescents today and practical ways they can safeguard their good mental health.
Class 5 & 6 pupils enjoyed a vibrant talk led by Psychiatrists Dr. Peggy Asiedu Ekremet & Dr. Emefa Dzordzorme, who discussed the importance of positive self-talk and self-image to secure good self-esteem. We are grateful to Dr. Pinnaman Appau for helping us to organise this session to help our children better understand how important it is to be kind to yourself, as well as others.
We also welcomed a delegation from Euracare and Brain & Mind Medical Centre to deliver an interactive and informative talk to our Senior School students, led by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Abishai Anlimah. This focused on the importance of protective lifestyle habits, especially adequate sleep & regular exercise to ensure good physical & mental health in young adolescents. They also discussed the pressures of adolescence and the importance of asking for help if you need it. Sixth Form students planning to study Health Sciences or Psychology paid a follow-up visit to the Brain & Mind Medical Centre in Abokobi to tour their facilities and meet personally with their team of Psychologists & Psychiatrists for an enlightening Q & A. Thank you to Euracare & Dr. Yaw Mfodwo for arranging this programme for our students.
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Katherine Ayivor-Nygard, founder of Full Circle Psychology, led a workshop for our Sixth Former students to learn ways they can effectively cope with the pressures of A Level examinations and applying to university, including simple techniques they can employ to help manage any anxiety or fear they may be experiencing, as they prepare to embark on the next phase of the educational careers.
Our sincere appreciation to all resource persons and partners for their generosity and support in helping deliver a wonderful World Mental Health Day 2022 programme to our students & staff. We look forward to making this important event a regular feature in our annual school calendar.