Sowing the Seed: Sunflowers for Mental Health Awareness 

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week and its theme of ‘Nature’, Year Nine pupils have joined together in support of this important cause and an inter-form competition has sprung to life to see who can grow the best Dwarf Sunflower. This has encouraged the pupils to research how best to grow the plant from seed and has also given them responsibility to look after the seeds by providing them with the right amount of feed, water and sunlight to see how well they grow. After only one week, ‘Bert’, ‘Roger’ and their fellow seedlings have already started to grow. The tricky time will come over Half term when there is no one in school to nurture the young plants. Perhaps they will each be going on a little holiday? Watch this space!

Mrs Elizabeth Kilburn

Head of Year Nine

Please enjoy the following excerpt from ‘Roger’s’ diary by Form 9F

Thursday 20 May

‘Roger has sprouted into our form! From the minute he stepped foot in our hallowed halls, he lightened the mood. As a form, we decided to vote on a name for the seedling, obviously, Roger came out on top. He has been fashionably decorated, placed in a sunlit window and is scattered with water each morning – we are taking great care of him. He is green. From all the love we have been giving him, he has managed to give us six different sprouts. Our form has been welcoming towards him, in particular Nurturing Niamh, who has had the enjoyable job of watering Roger this week. It was lovely to see everyone caring for Roger, and we are all elated to see him grow.’