Mental Health Week

5/16/2018

Erin Taylor, Communications Officer

1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness at some point in their life. As our Jack Chapter has been emphasizing throughout the year, 5 in 5 Canadians have mental health. Caring for our own mental health is something everyone can benefit from. When we talk openly about mental health, we can reduce the stigma that prevents many people with mental health issues from seeking help.

Guest speakers from Jack Talks reiterated this at the Mental Health Week kickoff assembly. They presented some facts about mental health, how we can take care of ourselves and our loved ones, and how we can reach out for help if we need it.

Greenwood alum and former Head Girl Kate Farrell ('14) gave an impactful presentation. With humour and honesty, she spoke about her struggles with OCD, anxiety, and anorexia nervosa, emphasizing that anyone can struggle with mental illness, even the people you least expect.

The Jack Chapter ran events throughout the week to teach students healthy methods of self care and to fight the stigma around mental illness. A lunchtime walk along the Beltline gave students a chance to unwind and get some fresh air. Therapy dogs brightened students’ moods between classes. Another highlight was Workout Wednesday: a professional trainer led the school in a boot camp workout to emphasize healthy habits. On Thursday, students were encouraged to “take a bite out of stigma” and by decorating cookies with stigmatized words.

Through Greenwood’s second annual Mental Health Week, the Jack Chapter got people thinking and talking about mental health.

Back

Staff and students exercised together for Workout Wednesday
Students wrote mental health advice to their younger selves on the front windows
Greenwood alum and former Head Girl Kate Farrell ('14) spoke about her struggles with mental illness
Jack Talks guest speakers gave a lively and informative presentation

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Greenwood College School

443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, ON M4S 2L8
Tel: 416 482 9811

We acknowledge with gratitude the Ancestral lands upon which our main campus is situated. These lands are the Ancestral territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabek and the Wendake. The shared responsibility of this land is honoured in the Dish with One Spoon Treaty and we strive to care for the land, the waters, and all creatures in the spirit of peace. We are responsible for respecting and supporting the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. When away from this campus we vow to be respectful to the land by protecting and honouring it. We will create relationships with the people and the land we may visit by understanding the territories we enter and the nations who inhabit them.