The "H" Factor... Year 7 Update

By Lisa Dixon | Posted: Tuesday August 23, 2022

All of our Year 7 classes are well into their topic of the "H" factor term focus on Health and Wellbeing and now planning has begun for the PBL project to run alongside this.

In our classes we have been exploring the Te Whare Tapa Whā Model of Wellbeing looking at the four main dimensions our Well being - Social, Emotional and Mental, Physical and Spiritual health. 

For each section our classes have been discussing ideas, watching videos and completing follow up activities to support that dimension. This has included yoga, meditation, fitness and physical activity, mindfulness and looking at tools to support our mental health. 

One of the most powerful activities is our journaling or writing session. This involved students on their own, with as much time as needed, writing down all the things they worry about, think about, feel anxious about... This follows  on from a session in class looking at ways to help our mental health. We then screwed these up and burnt them in our fire pit - letting go of what we cannot control or change.... followed by cooking and eating a  toasted marshmellow. Some classes will complete this over the next week. 

We have had a number of guest speakers also to support our unit. Last week we had a Zoom assembly with Ella Sidey, a wellness coach who told us of her personal journey with mental health and advice around our own wellbeing. This was an awesome session with a lot of practical ideas. 

On Tuesday we also had Rory from Attitude NZ speak to our Year 7 group about Puberty to complete that part of our unit also. He was entertaining as well as giving lots of practical examples and personal stories about the changes at puberty. 

All classes have started to plan and organise ideas for their PBL focus - the driving question - How can we improve the wellbeing of others in our community? Some classes will be looking at themselves and their whanau as the clients, some are looking at frontline workers and what they can do to support their wellbeing. Over the next few weeks they will plan, create, make or do. In our next newsletter we hope to share what our students have done. 

Thank you to all our parents and community that continue to support our students in all we do. We look forward to some warmer weather and hopefully less illnesses over the next few weeks.

Ngā mihi nui

Lisa Dixon 

On behalf of Year 7 

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