Students Spread a Message of Body Kindness
Body positivity and acceptance is important for everyone, but particularly amongst our teens who are facing more unhealthy messages around body image than ever before.
This past week our Mental Health Ambassadors (MHAs) with the support of the Student Leadership Council have been actively promoting Body Kind Week.
Body Kind Week is a large movement encouraging young people to promote positive body image while asking them to find ways to be kind to their bodies and to others.
The Mental Health Ambassadors from Years 5 to 8 created Body Kind Week themed bookmarks, and our Years 9 – 11 MHAs designed stylish posters linking in with the Butterfly Foundation’s positive body image message. These were displayed around the College.
During recess on Thursday and Friday, our students were out in force in the Mercy Walk distributing positive body affirmation cards and pledge cards. Students were encouraged to put forward their personal pledges with the focus, “My body is the greatest instrument I’ll ever own. I will be kind to my body by……..”. These were collected and displayed at the College in celebration of Body Kind Week.
Wellbeing Captain, Karin Boulton said, “I loved Body Kind Week because it was a wonderful opportunity to bring girls from all year groups together and celebrate how everyone is unique and embrace our differences. As a Mental Health Ambassador and as the 2022 Wellbeing Captain, I felt that this event has helped our College by allowing everyone to feel confident within themselves and create a sense of community,”
“Feeling positive about your body is an individual journey and will be different for everyone. But creating body satisfaction, self-confidence, self-love, or even just body acceptance is possible”.
Santa Maria College Provisional Psychologist, Kimberlee Burrows said “Body image is one of the biggest issues facing young women and girls today. We prioritise empowering our girls to know that they are much more than just a body, as well as helping them wholeheartedly embrace their bodies no matter what they look like.”
Thank you to all students and staff who were involved in making Body Kind Week such a success!
With Love from the Mental Health Ambassadors
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
