Principal's Message
Wellness Week
The safety, welfare and development of every student at Trinity College is central to our purpose. Through the delivery of specific curriculum pathways and the provision of different and varied opportunities and experiences for our boys, we seek to assist in their formation, their ongoing health and in enhancing their general wellbeing. The respective formation programs, pastoral support structures, health and fitness curriculum, and the number and quality of dedicated support staff such as Heads of Year, Psychologists, PCG Teachers and Education Assistants are all evidence of such care within our school. We find ourselves at a point in time where a focus on the physical and mental health of all children is vitally important, it is most encouraging to see the efforts of our staff and student leaders to highlight student wellbeing as part of our upcoming ‘Wellness Week’.
Throughout next week, our College will present Wellness Week under the theme of ‘A Healthy Outside Starts From the Inside’. Our boys will have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of activities. Wellness Week will follow a daily wellness theme and promises something of interest for every student. Furthermore, our boys will be immersed in important health and welfare information sessions and have access to resources that focus on their personal wellbeing. The program for the week is outstanding and can be found here. It will provide specific developmentally appropriate presentations regarding mental health and general wellbeing to respective Year cohorts. I encourage parents to speak to their sons about being involved in the many activities available. Further to this, it could present an opportunity to speak more generally about wellbeing issues.
I invite you all to watch the video below that outlines some of the activities we have on around the College next week.
Student wellbeing can be defined as ‘a sustainable state of positive mood and attitude, resilience, and satisfaction with one’s self, others and experiences at school’. It is widely accepted that student wellbeing directly affects most aspects of a student’s functioning, sense of connectedness and their actual learning at school. While wellbeing levels can fluctuate and are very much contextual, the ability to self-monitor such levels are important, as is understanding that positive choices around diet, fitness, sleep and mental care can make a significant difference. Access to sound advice and health professionals in these areas is also readily available and boys will be encouraged and directed to seek such advice as deemed appropriate. While we look forward to an enjoyable week, we are also very keen to deliver important messages about general wellness and student wellbeing matters.
The statistics regarding children’s health continues to be very concerning (it is estimated that 1 in 7 school-age children may have a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression and behavioural issues, but only a few will access the help they may require). It is important that our College continues to work in collaboration with families and community groups to support our boys’ mental health and wellbeing. I look forward to an enjoyable and informative Wellness Week and congratulate and thank the many staff and students who were part of the Wellness Week Organising Committee, and who have been so enthusiastic and hard-working in bringing it all together. As always, we seek to form good young men who are resilient and self-aware of their own wellbeing.
Live Jesus in our hearts.