12 September 2024
On Thursday 29 August, guest speaker Daniel Merza presented to all of our Years 7 to 10 students. Daniel is a renowned motivational speaker who focuses on leadership, resilience, relationships, and wellbeing. He is the author of Get the Monkeys Off Your Back – How to Be Confident, Fearless, and Tough in School and Life. Daniel uses real-life stories to address a range of sensitive topics in a highly interactive and engaging way.
Daniel’s presentation for Years 7 and 8 students focused on bullying and harassment, explaining how different ‘monkeys’ or personality types contribute to bullying behavior. He also discussed how bystanders can significantly influence bullying situations, either positively or negatively.
For Years 9 and 10 students, Daniel’s “Empower and Thrive” session focused on the importance of a growth mindset and goal setting, which help avoid procrastination and ensure that students reach their full potential.
It was a pleasure to see Daniel engage our students so completely with his lively and dynamic approach, reinforcing the key messages that we promote through our Wellbeing, Health, and Pastoral Care programs.
Daniel also graciously accepted our invitation to speak briefly at school muster, where he provided feedback on his talks and introduced two important themes for the upcoming Week 8—Blue Week and R U OK? Week.
Blue Week: 9 – 13 September
St Peter’s College should be proud of its leadership in creating ‘Blue Week’ back in 2014. Since then, many other schools have followed our lead, introducing their own Blue Week initiatives to support Beyond Blue’s messages around mental health.
Blue Week raises awareness of mental health and the concerning statistics that:
a) We should all devote time to maintaining positive mental health, and
b) We should aim to help others who may need emotional support.
The School Captains have organised a variety of events and activities to focus on Blue Week and raise awareness about mental health across the School community. Daily ‘Muffins with Mentors’ sessions have been an essential part of the schedule, encouraging open conversations between students and teachers. Nathan Bolton was the guest speaker at muster in Week 7, introducing the School’s important focus on mental health.
R U OK? Week: 9 – 13 September
R U OK? Week coincides with Blue Week this year, and the two themes are closely related. R U OK? Week focuses on preventing mental illness and suicide by encouraging meaningful personal connections. It also helps students recognise the signs of distress and act by carefully asking, “R U OK?”
Our Bloum check-in tool provides a weekly online opportunity for students to let us know if they are OK. Regular 1:1 conversations between mentors and students are also key moments for discussing wellbeing. However, fellow students are often the first to notice any issues and can offer initial support.
The School emphasises that students are not expected to fix someone’s mental health problems or know the best way to help. However, R U OK? Week reminds them that they can listen, show they care, and inform a teacher, school counsellor, or trusted adult if they are concerned about a friend.
This year, R U OK? Day fell on Thursday 12 September—an annual National Day of Action that reminds us that every day is the day to check in with friends, family, and colleagues. Participating in R U OK? Day promotes compassion and reinforces our dedication to the wellbeing of the entire school community, showing that together, we can truly make a difference.
For Parents:
SchoolTV has provided this special report for R U OK? Day:
School TV – R U OK?
Sean Inman
Head of Wellbeing Programs
