Health & Wellbeing Week 2023

Junior and Senior School pupils and staff celebrated the importance of physical and mental wellbeing during this year's Health and Wellbeing Week - with so much on offer throughout the course of the week, it truly was a feast for all HSOG pupils!

Each day began with wonderful words from guest speakers. This included hearing from Olympic gold medalist and current Chair of UK Sport, Dame Katherine Grainger; Nicola Morgan, Author of 'Blame My Brain: the Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed', who also returned to deliver an evening talk to parents and staff; Scottish comedian, Stephen Halkett, who had morning assembly in stitches with his comedy stylings; and our very own Transitus S class, who spoke to the Senior School on the topic of asthma.

There was an incredibly wide variety of activities on offer throughout the week, providing something for everyone. Our 'Kindness Rocks' art project, in which pupils were challenged to decorate stones with positive messages of wellbeing, proved popular across both the Junior and Senior Schools, with our younger children spreading kindness by distributing these throughout the local community! From visits to Bearsden Library, local businesses and care homes, to interacting with peers at Bearsden Primary School and the local Early Years Centre, they loved having the chance to share their positive messages.

Pupils and members of staff took the time to feed both the body and mind during invigorating pilates, zumba and yoga sessions, while beginners lessons in crochet and mindfulness were also on offer to Senior pupils. In the Senior Music Department, many took part in lunchtime sing-a-long sessions and enjoyed the chance to try out a range of musical instruments over the course of the week, pinpointing the benefits of music towards alleviating stress, processing emotions and improving mental health.

Numerous workshops for senior pupils furthered knowledge on a diverse range of topics, from learning about nutrition, energy and eating healthily to addressing prejudice and bullying of LGBT individuals with a workshop from Time for Inclusion (TIE), Scotland's LGBT Inclusive Education charity. S4-S6 pupils learned more about their physical health with visits from the Oddballs Foundation, a testicular cancer awareness charity, and breast cancer awareness charity, Coppafeel.

Sixth Year pupils and a number of staff members enjoyed an unforgettable evening at Old Anniesland taking part in an empowerment workshop and the infamous 'Walk of Champions' Firewalk. These tests of fortitude have been a staple of our Senior Health and Wellbeing Week, run brilliantly by Brian Costello of Headstrong Scotland, who also delivered inspiring morning assemblies to pupils at both the Junior and Senior School.

Sadiq and Molly of Sixth Year, spent a day providing invaluable CPR and defibrillation training to pupils at Old Anniesland and Bearsden. Thankfully no CPR was required as our brave staff volunteers participated in the dreaded staff 'Bleep Test'! Congratulations to Mr Totten who proved to be the most in-shape teacher at Old Anniesland!

As ever, the week culminated in a welcome visit from some furry friends at ‘Therapets’, with S4-S6 pupils relishing the chance to spend some time with a number of lovely dogs, taking time out to relax and unwind after a busy first half of the Spring Term.

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While everybody enjoyed an incredible week of activities, it proved also to be a poignant few days at Old Anniesland as it marked the final Senior Health and Wellbeing Week organised by our dedicated School Nurse, Mrs Jane Sim. Her endeavour and enthusiasm for so many years has seen her become such a pivotal part of the School community - the Health and Wellbeing Week, a highlight of the school calendar, is a fitting legacy for her to leave as she retires at the end of the 2022-23 session - thank you Mrs Sim!