Shiny, Happy People!

A few of like to think that we are ‘down with the kids’ but, inevitably, our ability to connect with Zoomers and Alphas is limited by our traditional grasp of irony, image-scanning lethargy and general Boomer mentality. So, the Nobber Knight, Guidance Counsellor ‘Flash’ Gordon, knew that even his jovial juvenilia has its limits and he brought in a real pro to chat with the kids about the important stuff: Saibh Skelly, who visited St. Conleth’s right before the midterm break and delivered an incredible live performance/talk/seminar to our TYs, First and Second Year students on the topics of Mental Health, Body Image & Cyber Bullying Message.

Saibh discussed (and sang about): mental health; the causes of mental health problems (stress at school, relationships etc..); the times she has had her own mental health issues; whom to turn to for help; and the importance of speaking up. Saibh had her own issues with body image while growing up so she spoke about this particularly important and delicate topic with power and grace. She also spoke about how she deals with stress and anxiety, as well as the more positive topic of aspirations and why should all pupils should try and achieve their dreams and be successful in school. Saibh gave advice on how to stay safe online as well as discussing cyber bullying, where to go for help and her own experiences with trolling, how she was affected by cyber bullying, how she felt at the time, how she reacted, and the outcome of the situation. Wow! And we just barely got through chapter 21 that Friday in class!

by Charles Latvis