October 12, 2023Mental Health Minute with Ms. K and Ms. Hanley

Helping Students Deal with Back to School Anxiety

Ms. Hanley and Ms. K are our School Counsellors here at Aberdeen Hall. They are excited to share with you each month what they have been working on with our students and employees in regards to wellness. They will also provide tips or information around a variety of mental health topics for both parents and students. 

To start the year off, Ms. Hanley and Ms. K spent a day with Aberdeen Hall’s new international students to talk about wellness, what mental health means at Aberdeen Hall, and how to create support plans. Students enjoyed making stress balls, connecting with each other through commonalities, and planning for success throughout the school year. 

In the Junior and Middle School, Ms. K spent time going to different grades to chat about what school counsellors do. Transitioning from Grade 5 to Grade 6 can be especially tough, so the Grade 6’s focused on the wellness wheel, how to thrive, and how to recognize our strengths. 

High School can be a high-pressure time in life, and as a result, High School students can be stressed out. This year Ms. Hanley and the Student Council have selected three grade reps per grade who will help promote and encourage health and wellbeing in their cohort through a variety of fun initiatives and challenges. 

Whether you are a new student, entering a new grade, or nervous about graduating, transitioning between the various stages of life can be hard. So here are some tips on how to make this transition a little easier: 

1) Go back to the basics: Make sure you are getting enough sleep, healthy meals, and daily movement. Get back into a regular routine. These basics give you more energy and capacity to cope when stressors happen. 

2) Problem solve: Work together with your parents, teachers, school counsellors, or administration to create a plan or strategy to help with your concerns. Having a plan ahead of time can reduce stress around the unknowns. 

3) Focus on the positives: It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and only focus on the negatives of a new situation. Try to counter every negative thought with a positive one. 

If you are wanting more information please see www.anxietycanada.com or reach out to Ms. Hanley or Ms. K.