Liceul Teoretic "Radu Vlădescu" located in Pătârlagele town, Buzău county, Romania, an eTwinning school 2023-2024, promotes the physical and emotional well-being of its community members, and the project "Let's Be Well Together!" initiated at the beginning of this school year is meant to provide solutions to improve the current situation through student agency and both local and international collaboration.
On 27 October 2023, two classes of students - 9 A and 9 U - organised an outdoor transdisciplinary lesson whose main aim was the prevention or alleviation of emotional problems or imbalances such as stress, anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, etc. by promoting an educational approach that is based on positive attitudes and behaviours, tolerance, harmony, cooperation, solidarity and respect, and a friendly, inclusive, nonviolent school climate where everyone feels safe.
Earlier this month, the majority of students from these two classes voted for the alleviation of emotional problems such as stress, sadness, anger, anxiety, depression etc. as part of their contribution to the implementation of the international eTwinning project "Let's Be Well Together!"
This outdoor lesson enabled both the students and the two coordinating teachers - Mr. Neacșu Daniel Sorin and Mrs. Claudia Emilia Frînculeasă - to be(come) aware of their own emotions and feelings, to understand the causes and effects they can have both at the individual level and at the school community level. It also created the appropriate circumstances for the adolescents to identify physical activities that can help them to achieve and maintain their inner balance so that they can become emotionally mature and inspired the other school community members to communicate, cooperate and act responsibly to protect the school environment, contributing to a climate of collaboration, respect, nonviolence and solidarity.
The activity "A Healthy Mind in A Healthy Body - The Benefits of Physical Activity" was included in the calendar of extracurricular activities at the request of the students enrolled in the two classes, the two teachers only getting involved in coordinating it.
Working in mixed teams, the students shared information, suggested and executed teambuilding games and physical activities recommended for both physical and mental benefits. As a result, all the participants learned that sport is the best ally in the fight with stress and depression. Sport "burns" adrenaline and stress hormones, helping us to manage negative emotions, and physical effort stimulates the brain to secrete substances that keep anxiety, sleep disorders and depression away; sport induces a good mood – because when we exert ourselves, the release of endorphins in the body, substances also known as happy hormones, is encouraged.
What is more, sport facilitates social interaction – a team sport will encourage collaboration and the development of communication skills; it helps increase self-esteem - victory being a source of confidence in one's own strength; it improves self-image – sport develops us harmoniously, keeps obesity away, strengthens muscles and helps to achieve a beautiful posture; sports can help improve academic performance – after performing physical activity, we can focus and absorb information more easily. Additionally, during physical training, the body releases neurotrophins – proteins that support the optimal functioning of nerve cells, thus improving intellectual processes.
The main results of the activity were the two classes of students who became more informed, more active and better prepared to face both daily difficulties and more serious life challenges in a way characterized by empathy, calmness, patience, understanding, responsibility, team spirit, fair-play and nonviolence.
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