In the early hours at Greendale Primary School, students, teachers and the school leaders gather in the canteen over a simple breakfast. Laughter and light-hearted chatter fill the space. This is a get-together of the Breakfast Club, which takes place once or twice per term.
“The Breakfast Club was started last year as part of our efforts to promote social interaction in school, nurture social bonds and peer support,” shares Mdm Siti Zulaikha Bte Zainal Abidin, Head of Department (HOD) for Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) of the school. “We want every student to feel that we care about them, beyond their academic performance.”
Students enjoying their breakfast at the Breakfast Club.
This casual meal is just one of the various layers of support woven into schools today to boost students’ mental well-being. Behind the scenes, a circle of care works together – the peer support leaders, teachers, Year Heads and school counsellors – to ensure that students who need help don’t fall through the cracks.
Strengthening the student-teacher bond
As teachers are often one of the first to notice when something is not right with a student, they are key figures in supporting students’ well-being. At CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent, for example, it is common to see form teachers or school leaders having one-on-one morning chats with students to check in on how they are doing.
Mrs Amanda Tan, HOD of CCE of the school, shares, “We might take a walk around the school, go to the canteen or simply sit on a bench around the school compound and strike up conversations with students. These chats give us a glimpse into the child’s life, how she is doing and help us understand the kind of support she may need.”
A one-on-one conversation taking place between teacher and student at CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent.
Mrs Lim-Chua Hwee Sze, Year Head at Riverside Secondary School, adds that teachers also use data from termly check-in surveys to identify students who need additional support. But when something more concerning crops up in between, such as emerging signs of school refusal, the teachers may also alert the respective Year Heads. This allows the school to intervene and render support early.
“Year Heads play an important role in triaging cases that require additional support. Together with the child’s form teacher, we try to nip the problem in the bud early and not let any student fall through the cracks,” Mrs Lim explains.
She recalls how a simple check-in made all the difference for a struggling student, allowing her to provide support before the situation escalated. Noticing that something had seemed “off”, Mrs Lim gently asked the girl if she wanted to talk about what was troubling her.
That sincere question was all it took for the floodgates to open. In tears, the student shared that despite her efforts, her mother had dismissed her academic improvements as “luck”. The girl’s self-worth suffered as a result.
Mrs Lim reached out to the girl’s mother, who had not realised that her comments affected her daughter so much, and bridged the communication gap between them. “When communication breaks down, the situation may worsen if we leave it as is. Thankfully, we were able to talk things through and intervene early,” she shares.
The counsellor is in
For more complex issues, students can be referred to school counsellors. These trained mental health professionals step in when more specialised guidance is needed. They also provide training to Year Heads and teachers to help them recognise signs of emotional distress and learn how to provide appropriate support.
Every school has its own way of connecting students with counsellors, shares Mdm Sharifah Taibah Alhabshie, Senior School Counsellor at Junyuan Primary School. At Junyuan Primary, for example, students can drop letters or notes into a “Counsellor’s Mailbox” when they need help.
Mdm Sharifah explains that the mailbox serves as “a bridge between the school counsellors and students”. The letters are carefully reviewed to determine the best course of action: is immediate intervention required or can the form teacher follow up on the child’s concerns?
Mdm Sharifah in a counselling session.
“If it is not very serious, such as a misunderstanding between friends, I will direct it to the form teachers to see if they can rectify the situation and then, do a follow-up with them. In red-flag situations, such as indications of abuse, self-harm behaviour, suicidal ideation or possible mental health issues, we will act immediately,” Mdm Sharifah elaborates.
When needed, school counsellors will connect with external agencies, such as REACH (Response Early intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health), a community-based mental healthcare service which works closely with schools, community agencies and family doctors to help students with emotional, behavioural and/or developmental disorders.
A whole-school approach
Mental well-being isn’t a solo effort; building a safe and supportive environment requires teamwork and commitment from schools as a whole.
As Mr Alex Toh, Assistant Year Head at Presbyterian High School, points out, mental well-being is “interconnected”, which is why the school promotes it holistically. During its annual Kindness Week, students, teachers and the school’s support staff come together to show appreciation and gratitude for one another.
“We take the time to affirm and appreciate the people in the school community. This includes students, teachers, the aunties and uncles who help maintain the school, as well as the security officers,” Mr Toh says. “Mental well-being cannot be treated as a standalone thing; showing appreciation and recognising the efforts of others can boost everyone’s well-being.”
Support at home is crucial, too
As important as school support is, the child’s home environment matters too. Mr Daniel Anand Kolandai, HOD of Student Management at Junyuan Primary, says that schools recognise that not all students have the same level of support at home.
“It’s not that the parents are not trying hard enough but sometimes, they may miss certain milestones that the child is going through. Schools act as a bridge to help parent and child come together to work through issues and reconnect,” he says.
Mrs Lim encourages parents to reach out to form teachers or Year Heads if they notice changes in their child’s behaviour. In her student’s case, helping the girl reconnect with her mother was the turning point in their relationship. Once the mother became aware of her daughter’s struggles, she began offering more affirmation for her academic efforts.
“I also encouraged the student to have regular chit-chats with her parents to share how she feels. Now, this girl has blossomed and is doing well in school,” Mrs Lim shares.
Photos courtesy of: Greendale Primary School, Riverside Secondary School and Junyuan Primary
