Keynote Address: By Dr Michael G. Thompson
Dr Thompson is a psychologist, School Consultant and Author or Co-author of eight books including:
"Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys" (the New York Times bestseller); "Speaking of Boys: Answers to the most-asked Questions about Raising Sons"; and "Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social lives of Children."
A dedicated speaker and traveller, Dr Thompson has spoken at or consulted to more than 500 schools in the United States and abroad. He has appeared on the Today Show; the Oprah Winfrey Show; ABC 20/20; and CBS 60 minutes. He was the Co-author, host and narrator of a two-hour PBS documentary entitled 'Raising Cain: Focus on Boys' which aired in January of 2006.
Description:
A wellness-oriented lifestyle encourages you to adopt habits and behaviours that promote better health and an improved quality of life. It also involves the recognition that you have physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs, with each dimension being necessary for optimal levels of functioning.
Wellness is a positive approach to living - an approach that emphasizes the whole person. It is the integration of the body, mind, and spirit.
Multidimensional Aspects of Wellness:
1. Social Wellness
2. Organisational Wellness
3. Spiritual Wellness
4. Physical Wellness
5. Intellectual Wellness
6. Emotional Wellness
7. Environmental Wellness
8. Financial Wellness
9. Mental Wellness
10. Medical Wellness
From this multidimensional model we pick the top six for further examination as they relate to issues that can be examined, discussed and work shopped in the context of a boy’s school. These six topics will be divided into four Conference strands.
Physical Wellness
André Vos, ex Springbok rugby captain, is the Keynote speaker in this strand and will set the scene on Physical Wellness in Boys’ schools. This topic will also cover how proper nutrition and correct exercise can enhance the physical and Intellectual Wellness of boys as well as looking into how a 3 week long “journey” changes the lives of Grade 10 Learners. A study of the long term effects of the lack of physical exercise at school on South African sport will also be discussed
Psychosocial Wellness (Socio Emotional)
Michael Thompson will lead us through this important topic. Discussions will be centered around, boys wellbeing - learning to take care of themselves and others, assertiveness skills; learning the difference between assertiveness, submissiveness and aggression. We will also look at gender issues, risk factors in boys, boy code and emotional vulnerability as well as social emotional literacy and intelligence. Social-emotional competencies in Leadership styles will also be on the agenda.
Intellectual Wellness
How do we engender a culture of thinking and learning among boys and increase their readiness to learn as well as boosting achievement? Are boys disadvantaged by the format of examinations and how can boys’ schools address the skills shortage in South Africa? These are some of the issues we will attempt to unravel in this strand.
Institutional Wellness (Organisational)
A solid institution is based on values, a code of conduct and a structured disciplined environment. In this strand we will re-look at different ways of achieving the aforementioned. Honour codes, mentoring and new paradigms of student leadership and student government will also be explored.
IBSC Conference