By Laura Michell
Pupils at Roxburgh Rise Primary School will soon be taking part in meditation and mindfulness activities as part of a program to improve mental health.
The school is one of 90 schools across the country to sign up to the Smiling Mind program which aims to teach pupils about looking after their mental health.
Smiling Mind chief executive Addie Wootten said one in seven primary school pupils and one in four secondary students suffered from a diagnosed mental illness each year.
“It’s vital that we as a community do everything we can to take a proactive approach to preventing this health issue into the future,” Dr Wootten said.
“We are really excited to start working with the Roxburgh Rise Primary School community and help give these children the tools they will need to build preventative mental health approaches for the future.”
Dr Wootten said the meditation and mindfulness activities were tailored to each year level and will help pupils manage stress.
She said teachers and parents should also benefit from the program, with plans for parents workshops as well.
Roxburgh Rise principal Chris Bozikas hopes the entire school community will get behind the program.
“Our school has a strong focus on student and staff wellbeing and we are aware that mindfulness can play a beneficial role in supporting wellbeing,” she said.
