Wellbeing in the Middle Years: Growing Minds, Caring Hearts
At Shiv Nadar School Faridabad, we believe that learning is at its most meaningful when young people also feel understood, supported, and equipped to understand themselves. Throughout August 2026, our International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) scholars took part in a series of thoughtful wellbeing sessions, each shaped around the questions, challenges, and growth that come with their stage of life. From discovering personal strengths to navigating friendships, online spaces, and academic pressure, these sessions created safe spaces for reflection, conversation, and growth.
MYP 1: The Architecture of Self – Building Agency and Strengths
On 13th August 2026, our MYP 1 scholars stepped into The Architecture of Self, an interactive wellbeing session facilitated by Ms. Srishti Jaikhani. Through movement-based activities and real-life scenarios, students explored a simple yet powerful idea: that the small choices we make every day, and the character we bring to them, quietly shape who we become.
Group challenges such as The Human Blueprint and Strength Signals invited students to persist through difficulty, listen closely to one another, and solve problems creatively together. Along the way, they reflected on real situations many young people face, such as feeling left out by peers, handling sudden frustration, and learning to value the different strengths each teammate brings. The session closed with a quiet moment of self-mapping, where each student set personal goals for their own growth.
Students came away with a clearer sense of how self-management looks in everyday life, and grew in recognising character strengths, seeing things from others' perspectives, managing their emotions, and working through problems together.
Building character by choice, not by chance: our MYP 1 scholars are shaping their own resilient futures.
MYP 2: Navigating Digital Footprints and Emotional Resilience
On 14th August 2026, MYP 2 students took part in a workshop exploring a world they know well: the space where online and offline lives meet. Through case studies and role play, they reflected on their digital identity, the dynamics within peer groups, and the importance of setting healthy emotional boundaries.
Students considered how the words they share, whether in a message or in a hallway, can leave a lasting impact. The session also offered practical tools for resolving conflicts and staying calm in difficult moments. Scholars learned to recognise what triggers them in interactions with others, to respond with empathy, and to nurture respectful and supportive friendships.
The workshop helped students grow as thoughtful digital citizens, better prepared to handle disagreements constructively and to care for their own emotional wellbeing.
Empowering responsible digital citizens and nurturing empathetic leaders for an interconnected world.
MYP 3: From Assumptions to Empathy – Building a Culture of Belonging
On 18th August 2026, our MYP 3 scholars engaged in wellbeing sessions centred on inclusion, empathy, and community. Through group scenarios and a screening of the short film The Present, students were gently encouraged to question first impressions and to look more deeply at the experiences of others.
The conversations that followed were honest and reflective, as students explored diverse perspectives and challenged assumptions they may have held. Together, they drafted a shared Belonging Code, a set of commitments to help make their community a place where everyone feels seen and welcome. The experience deepened their understanding of what it truly means to practise empathy, communicate with respect, and contribute to the common good.
Students strengthened their skills in ethical reasoning, perspective-taking, respectful communication, and social responsibility.
From assumptions to empathy: our MYP 3 changemakers are looking beyond first impressions to build a community where everyone belongs.
MYP 4: Balancing Ambition and Wellbeing
As the academic journey grows more demanding in MYP 4, our pastoral sessions on 6th August 2026 focused on helping students find balance. Using self-assessment tools, scholars took an honest look at their study habits and how they respond emotionally to academic expectations.
Facilitators guided them through practical ways to manage stress, set priorities, and build mindful daily habits. Each student then created a personalised balance plan, designed to help them stay focused on their studies while still making time to rest, recharge, and look after themselves.
Students left with practical time-management strategies, calming routines for stressful moments, and a clearer approach to prioritising their workload while keeping their minds clear and steady.
Balancing ambition and wellbeing: equipping our MYP 4 scholars to excel and to thrive.
These sessions reflect a belief close to the heart of Shiv Nadar School Faridabad: that wellbeing is not separate from learning, but the very foundation on which it grows. We are grateful to Ms. Srishti Jaikhani and all the facilitators and mentors who guided our scholars with such care, and we look forward to continuing these conversations as our students grow into confident, compassionate, and resilient young people.
