The Warsaw High School Times

Graphic created by Rita Pasiewicz

Mental health! Recently, that’s what’s been on everyone’s agenda in Jasienica’s 2SLO. No wonder – after all, a great deal of an event has just been organised. On the 17^th and 18^th of October, the annual edition of the quite legendary Mental Health Days, the school’s unique initiative, has taken place. Classes have been cancelled, deadlines withheld, and students offered a lucrative alternative to their daily routine. Jasienica has taken a decent break from the daunting academic scenery of mid-October. Thanks to it, students got some of their well-deserved rest and entertainment. How exactly? Well, if you are wondering, hop on and enjoy the article!

Mental Health Days have been organised here for quite some time, with the fifth edition already past us. Jasienica’s IB students have already managed to get used to them happening every year. Fellow Pre-DP and DP enjoyers, having familiarized themselves with the privilege of taking a lull every October, value the initiative greatly. A temporary setback to the workload and a remarkable opportunity for a decent all-night sleep might arguably be the main factors here. But that’s only the beginning.

As the name suggests, the initiative aims at ensuring students’ fine mental health. Organised in October, International Mental Health Month, it attempts to raise everyone’s awareness of their well-being. By giving them the necessary time and grasp of the topic, Jasienica’s 2SLO seeks to encourage their mindfulness. Because of such desire, during the event, students were, among others, able to participate in lectures or workshops on subjects related directly to mental health matters.

Apart from that, Mental Health Days are meant to provide students with much-needed rest and desired entertainment. And so, instead of the “classy” classes, Jasienica presents them with more than a few non-academic activities. Ranging from physical exercises to strictly hobbies-centred options, the choice is made to ensure every peer’s satisfaction.

For instance, this year’s edition, at least its part carried out, especially for Jasienica’s IB students, provided us with a variety of 33 activities, including a try-out of non-digital photography, a trial session of so-called wargaming, and creative writing workshops all appreciated by the community. Apart from them, other very distinct suggestions were presented too. Accounting for a substantial share of all options, workshops on mindfulness ended up being well-received as an all-time classic. The lectures on creating a decent sleep schedule or coping with destructive outcomes of stress also had their audiences and beneficiaries.

All in all, most students are satisfied with the many propositions that were put forward this year. For now, even with evaluation surveys not yet fully submitted, the event can already be considered successful. The handy timetables and compelling classes carried out once more proved favourable for one’s mental health state. Would this be the case in any other school where such a solution was to be implemented? I’ll leave that question open for you. For all I know, Jasienica’s 2SLO can be deemed rested and hopefully ready to be back on quite a turbulent track of academic hustle.