On Thursday the 25th February, the school organised a series of workshops centred around puberty, body image and self-esteem for Grade 7.
During these workshops, we learned about the changes we go through in puberty and how they affect us both mentally and physically. Most importantly, we were made aware of how we see ourselves during this shifting stage in life. This was followed by four off-line activities that included mindfulness colouring, drawing, family and friend-themed collages, and art using nature. Our teachers were supportive and comforting, and assured us that they would assist us in any way possible during this transformative phase of our lives.
For the second half of the workshop, we took part in a Zoom call with psychologist, Dr. Aric Sigman, who discussed how body image issues, lack of confidence and eating disorders affect our well-being.
He expressed concern about the mental health of young women and the negative effect of social media apps on our self-confidence and body image. The insecurities caused by apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok can lead to lifelong issues such as depression and eating disorders.
This was an informative and essential day as I began to understand the changes I am going through and how the danger of not recognizing and dealing with these issues can lead to unwanted stress and anxiety. I hope that we can support each other in the Marymount community and deal with all these changes together in the years to come, to become strong and resilient young women with bright futures.
Thank you, Miss Pickstone, for organising these workshops!
By Malaika, Grade 7
I really enjoyed the interdisciplinary day; it had a real focus on mental health.
The day started with a puberty workshop, which was detailed and informative, and this was followed by doing collages on the things we love, as well as mindfulness colouring. It the afternoon, we had the body image workshop, which was very interesting and connected nicely with the puberty workshop that we had in the morning. All together it was an amazing day!
By Chloe, Grade 7
Interdisciplinary day was such a great opportunity to take a break from lessons for a short while and to clear our minds.
We started the day with a puberty workshop, where I learned a lot about what might happen to me in the future, and how I can deal with it. I found this very interesting, as no one had ever fully covered this topic before and I now feel that I am well prepared and less anxious about it. We then had a nice relaxing afternoon, where we could choose between a few calming activities and just take time for ourselves.
We then ended the day with a talk led by Dr. Aric Sigman, who took us through an engaging discussion on the pressures of physical appearance and body image. Overall, I learned a lot from this day and it was a great way to reset and reflect.
By Tess, Grade 7
