KAUKAUNA — Students at Kaukauna High School are bringing back “Merry Mental Health and a Happy New You,” an initiative that started three years ago to offer activities and raise awareness surrounding mental wellness during the holiday season.
The program is organized by Kaukauna High School’s National Honor Society, Ghost Crew and Sources of Strength team, in collaboration with the Center for Suicide Awareness and with support from Thrivant.
With a focus on gratitude, mindfulness, stress management, and the importance of mental, physical and emotional wellness, the groups have planned and will run activities during the school’s Flex time (9:05 to 9:39 a.m.), a time regularly built into each school day to allow students to catch up on missed schoolwork and/or participate in enrichment activities of their choice, according to a news release.
Led by teachers as well as representatives from the Center for Suicide Awareness, the “Merry Mental Health Activities” planned for this year include:
- Pilates/Yoga (December 16, 20)
- Meditation (December 14, 16)
- Christmas Coloring to reduce stress (Days TBD)
- Spreading Christmas Cheer: Holiday Caroling (Days TBD)
- Cribbage/Euchre (December 20, 21)
- Listening to the KHS Band (December 22)
- Mahjong (December 14, 16 and 21)
- Hiking (December 22)
- Chess (December 15)
- Braille (Days TBD)
- Group Power (December 17, 22)
- Zumba (December 14)
- Board Games (December 12-16)
- Knitting/Crochet (December 20, 21)
- Spray Painting Pictures (December 14-17)
- Making Ornaments (December 14-17, 20) – Ornaments will then be placed on lockers as an act of kindness
- Frosting Cookies (December 15-17)
- Good Game – Good Mental Health (December 15, 16, 20) – A chance for students to focus on gaming for stress relief and improving mental wellness
- Learning about essential oils for meditation and health (December 17)
All of the activities and classes are designed to promote mental wellness and awareness by not only reinforcing the importance of self-care, but by creating opportunities for students to give back to others within our school community.
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