Nexus is proud to share that we were award winners for the HoneyKidsAsia 2023 “Student Wellbeing Award”. We are excited to be recognised as a top school that cares for all aspects of learner wellbeing and has made a positive impact on its learner body.
As a school, learner wellbeing has always been a key focus as we know that positive environments are imperative for learner success. Dr Heather Millington, Head of Secondary, cites Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, stating that an individual needs to have their basic needs met before they can reach self-actualisation. As such, Nexus has always taken great strides to create safe and supportive environments for all our learners. Here are the key wellbeing highlights that led to us winning this award.
Our Dedicated Counselling Team
As the Nexus counselling team expands, they now sit in the newly renovated Learner Wellbeing and Care Centre with new offices and more resources. Beyond offering a variety of counselling services, our counsellors go above and beyond by innovating and finding new ways to boost wellness events and activities in the school.
Not only do they work with learners, they also collaborate with teachers by providing training around how to manage learners with specific needs or even ensuring that teachers are caring for themselves and their own mental wellbeing within the classroom. They also extend their knowledge to parents through workshops and newsletter tips.
Pastoral Care
Ensuring that every learner is cared for physically, mentally and emotionally is a top priority at Nexus. We created tutor groups for our secondary learners, who initially did not have a fixed class, so that they could start their day in a classroom with the same teachers and peers, adding familiarity to the beginning of their days. It also gave them access to a specific teacher who they could approach as a trusted adult.
Beyond the learners, we have also extended resources and best practices with parents, helpers and guardians through workshops and touchpoints to ensure that our learners are also well supported outside of school.
Rolling Out Safetalk Trainings
Nexus has been raising awareness around suicide prevention through the Safetalk programme. Not only have many staff members undergone the training, parents also had the chance to attend a session. Next up, our Year 12-13 learners will also have a chance to participate in a Safetalk training. These efforts go towards making Nexus a well-trained community that knows how to respond when faced with such situations.
Creating Leadership Opportunities
In line with championing learner agency, Nexus has created many new leadership roles that allow our learners to be heard, creating a strong sense of purpose within these individuals. We grew from 8 to 30 leadership roles in the learner council and introduced the Care Movement Ambassadors who provide peer to peer support for mental and emotional wellbeing. Overall, we now have over 100 learners in leadership roles in 2023!
Wellness In The Classrooms
As a school, we have been exploring self-care and care for the community within our curriculum and classrooms.
SPARKD Brain Fitness
Nexus learners were the pioneers of the SPARKD programme in schools in Asia, combining physical fitness and cognitive development to improve motor skills as well as their cognitive speeds. Check out our feature in HoneyKids to learn about the high-tech and innovative learning opportunity our learners had.
Animal Assisted Support
Ever since therapy dogs and horses stepped foot onto our campus in 2022, we have continued exploring the benefits of animal-assisted therapy for various use-cases. We did Read With Rapha sessions where learners built confidence in reading by reading with Rapha, the therapy dog.
Early Years Mindfulness Time
Did you know that our early year learners have quiet time after lunch? As energies are high after lunchtime, our Early Years learners practise mindfulness to learn how to rest intentionally and self-regulate. A great skill to learn, especially from such a young age!
Care Movement
Many aspects of learner wellbeing actually tie back to the Care Movement, where we care for self, others and the world. Coming up, we will be entering Care for Self week, where many conversations surrounding self-care and wellbeing will be abuzz in the school.
Nexus International School (Singapore)
As a school for learners aged 3 - 18 years old, we love sharing our insights on education, learner wellbeing and learning in general.
