This year at KCS we decided that instead of just celebrating mental health week we should dedicate a whole month to promoting positive mental health throughout our school community. The KCS Amber Flag Team officially launched our mental health awareness month with a small ceremony underneath their well-deserved Amber Flag from Pieta House.

 Thanks to Mr. Cierans, junior students were treated to a performance by Colette Forde on the topic of teen mental health. Following this a group of junior and senior students were lucky enough to be involved in a mindfulness session given by CUH nurse Teresa McDermott. Each student was taught how to use their breath to be in the moment which they can use during their busy lives. Staff also participated in the mindfulness session which was enjoyed by all involved.

To the students delight, Friday 11th of October was labelled as a no homework day. Teachers were encouraged not to give students homework for the weekend, the aim being that students instead focused on the things which positively affect their mental health.

A particular aspect which stood out to us all, both teachers and students, were the statistics on the amount of sleep we are getting each night versus the amount of sleep we need to function. In light of these statistics, TY4 launched their sleep campaign, aiming to raise awareness of the negative mental health impacts of sleep deprivation. Alarm clocks are now available to purchase in the school shop to encourage students to leave their mobile phones outside their rooms at night.

Throughout mental health month we were reminded of ways to keep our mental health on track and the importance of checking in with yourself and others through a variety of quotes which were shared over the intercom each day for everyone to hear. A poster competition also ran throughout the month and some fantastic entries were received.

To finish off KCS mental health month in style, we will all walk together for our annual school walk on Friday 25th October to raise funds for our 3 chosen charities,  KYSS, Pieta House and Jigsaw. Staff and students are encouraged to wear orange on the day in keeping with our theme of positive mental health.