Langdon School to host Headstrong Summit

Adelle Ellis
Times Reporter

 

Langdon School’s staff and Grade 6 to 9 students will be attending their first ever Langdon Headstrong Summit on Jan. 27.
The summit’s main goal is to “share stories, have discussions and break down the stigma surrounding mental health,” said Langdon School Grade 9 teacher, Susanne Moskal.
The idea for the summit came from a group of students and staff members who attended a similar summit through the Canadian Mental Health Commission at Mount Royal University in Calgary this past October. There, the group was exposed to a tremendous amount of valuable information on the topic of mental health, and they decided that it would be an incredible event to set up for their own school.
“There will be discussions, stories and resources from speakers and organizations sharing about mental health and ideas. The idea is to learn what mental health and illness is, and to break down the stigma attached to these areas,” said Moskal. “Speakers will share stories around addictions, grief, anger, choices, depression, sleep, physical activity, healthy eating and mental illness.”
The day will include breakout sessions, panel discussions and a resource fair.
One of the speakers will be Cole Whalley, brother to one of Langdon School’s staff members. Whalley will share his personal story about his battle with depression and addiction.
“These are real stories, stories that affect all people in society,” said Moskal.
Other speakers will include six speakers from the Headstrong organization, speakers from the Mental Health Commission, Alberta Addictions Services, Stepping Stones to Mental Health, Synergy, D.O.C. Personal Training, JennDYoga, ConnecTeen, Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse and Calgary Sexual Health.
“One in five youth in Canada struggle with mental health,” said Moskal. “Mental health and illness are important topics that students are facing, related to and affected by.”
Buy-Low Foods will also be helping to support the breakfast and lunch for participants of the event. There will even be a surprise musical guest attending the summit.
Along with this summit helping students to better understand mental health and illness, it also directly relates to subjects they learn in health class. Students have been creating posters displaying research on a variety of different mental illnesses. Discussions surrounding mental health, illness and stigma will be continuing in health class after the summit, and students will work on more projects using the knowledge they will have gained from the Headstrong Summit.