They were met at the Waterside school by Principal, Katrina Crilly and members of her senior student body including Head Boy Dara Donaghy and Head Girl Suranne Mullan.
Mental Health Champion, Professor O’Neill - Professor of Mental Health Services at Ulster University - is a passionate advocate for better mental health services in Northern Ireland.
She was appointed to the role in September, 2021 by Health Minister Robin Swann after acting in the role on an interim basis.
On Monday of last week, she was very interested in hearing what the students had to say on the issues of well-being and how every day stresses affected their school and family lives. Professor O’Neill and the Mayor hosted a discussion and Q&A with students at the school, chaired by Mrs. Crilly.
Afterwards there was a visit to Mrs Colvin’s and Ms Breslin’s class where they sat in on a MEE lesson discussing coping strategies for stress, using ‘The Window of Tolerance’.
This was followed by a visit to students in the school’s Nurture Room and Professor O’Neill again met with students to discuss how the Nurture Room plays an important role in students’ well-being within the school community.
Speaking after the event, Mrs Crilly said it was great to welcome both the Mayor and Professor O’Neill to Oakgrove and explained that the event was a follow-on from Mental Health Week at the school last month.
The Principal said: “Again today, we got a chance to showcase our mental and emotional well-being facilities to both and they got a chance to listen to our students and take on board their views on issues that affect them daily during their school week. The students were delighted that both were honed in to the issues facing students today coming out of a pandemic and the issues of stress with exams on the horizon.”
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Group pictured during a tour of Oakgrove College on Monday morning. From left, Dara Donaghy, Head Boy, Mayor, Alderman Graham Warke, Siobhan O'Neill, Mental Health Champion NI, Suranne Mullan, Head Girl and Mrs. Katrina Crilly, Principal. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)
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Mrs Colvin and Ms Breslin, MEE teachers, pictured with a class of Year 9 students who took part in a lesson attended by the Mayor, Alderman Graham Warke and Professor O'Neill.
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Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Graham Warke pictured working with Year 9 student Maddie Strawbridge during his visit to Oakgrove College.
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NURTURE ROOM VISIT. . . . . The Mayor, Graham Warke and Professor Siobhan O'Neill pictured with Ms Aislinn Breslin, Student Support Officer & MEE teacher, Mrs Katrina Crilly Principal, and Oakgrove College students on Monday morning when they visited the school's Nurture Room. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)