At EBIS we are here to help our students both be happy and be the best person they can be. We have a team of skilled and passionate professionals who love working with young people.

At EBIS, we want all of our students to be happy and well so they can make the most of their time at school and have positive, healthy relationships. We recognise that being well and Wellbeing means taking care of, and supporting young people’s physical, mental and emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of health.

This is wellbeing or Hauora.

There are so many variations of meditation and finding one that works for you is important. We are all different and cannot expect the same things to work for each of us. Here are some links to online meditation to get you started.

Headspace is an app that provides meditations for young people. There is a 2 week free trial to help you decide if it is beneficial.

Five Minute Mindful Breathing - This is a great beginners meditation that is quick and effective.

10 Minute Body Scan Meditation 

Mindfulness is the ability to be in the present moment, allowing the past and future to take a back seat. It allows us to acknowledge our thoughts and feelings and with practice can help us decide how we respond to them. This can help to reduce anxiety and stress and promote focus.

Here is a short video that explains mindfulness in a practical way.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness and so many wonderful online tools to help us.

This link will take you to a set of 5 challenges that include giving, being active, keep learning, connecting and taking notice.

Make a copy and record your successes.

This is also a great challenge to highlight any areas that need developing to help support you hauora. 

For those of us that struggle to sit still, you may find that active meditation works better for you. This could be in the form of exercises such as yoga, tai chi or colouring.

The way it works is by presenting you with challenging movements, poses and breathing, so that you are completely focused on your body in the moment. Some of them use affirmations, which are positive statements about yourself, such as ‘I am healthy and happy’, ‘I am grateful for all that I receive’. These help to set the tone for your day and have a positive effect on our minds and bodies. Youtube is a wonderful resource for active meditation workouts.

Here are some of our favourites:

Yoga with Kassandra - Offers a variety of workouts, from 10 minutes long

Yoga with Adriene - Specifically for teens - 20 minutes

5 Minute Tai Chi - Aotearoa based, Leia has a whole series of videos to teach you the basics of Tai Chi.

Local classes - The Wellington Indian Association have been working with students during Wellbeing SPEC and also offer a number of yoga and tai chi classes, for beginners, children and seniors. 

Mindfulness Colouring Sheets - This link has free downloads for you to print.

Mindful Walking - This link takes you through a guided mindful walking session.

Penny Stock

Kia ora, I’m Penny. It is a privilege for me to serve the EBIS community as your counsellor. Confidential counselling is available to students, parents and caregivers, and staff.

 I have a real love for working with young people and feel privileged to walk alongside our students as they navigate the challenges and possibilities of growing up.  It is why I became a counsellor. I am passionate about creating a space where rangatahi feel listened to, understood, valued and supported to flourish — to discover their strengths and grow in confidence.

I live in Lower Hutt with my husband, and we have three children growing into adulthood. The roller coaster that is family life has given me a deep appreciation for the joys and complexities of different life stages, and this continues to shape the warmth and understanding I bring to my practice.

In my free time I love hanging out with family and friends, watching rugby and Formula 1, trying out new recipes and TV crime shows.