Victorian school spreads R U OK? message year-round
Brookside College has been taking part in R U OK?Day for years. Despite the pandemic, their 2021 events were bigger than ever.
Tell us a little bit about your school, Brookside College.
Brookside P-9 College is based in Caroline Springs, Victoria. We have over 1,200 students and the student wellbeing team is a team of four clinicians. We recognise R U Ok?Day every year, and turn it into a week of activities for the students and include the staff members.
What did you do for R U OK?Day in 2021?
Because of the pandemic, we were not able to do our usual R U OK?Day activities. Instead we got a local artist (Tim Sta Ana) to design and paint a wall mural for the school. The words on the mural were contributed by every year level . They included messages like, "be strong", "be caring", "keep calm" and "get moving". We wanted a constant reminder for the students, staff and school community to continue asking, "are you OK?", all year round.
What did the staff and students do to support the day and encourage meaningful conversations?
We had a whole school project titled “R U Ok? Day, Everyday”. Students created pieces of artwork that expressed messages of seeking help, words of encouragement and positive affirmations. The idea was for students to make a whole-school contribution to promoting positive mental health. These artworks are displayed in our front office and winners were chosen and provided prizes courtesy of Nestle.
There were also presentations hosted by Headspace Schools and The Wellbeing Team at Brookside that role-played students in conversations about how they would notice the signs someone might be struggling and how to have a conversation with that person. Students took part in daily wellbeing activities that addressed the four steps of an R U OK? conversation (Ask, Listen, Encourage Action, Check In), as well as resilience building.
Our large lunchtime celebration this year included public speakers from the No Bull group to engage students in music and games. Melton Young Communities also came along to help with the student engagement. There were multiple R U OK? giveaways provided to students (bananas, stickers, wristbands, erasers, fidget toys, etc.). There was also a photo-booth, with the printed film being R U OK?-themed. At recess we had Indigenous musical artist, Brett Lee, perform for the students.
And what about staff? How were they involved?
We wanted to ensure that staff were also taken care of, and are aware of the supportive culture that the school and the Wellbeing Team encourage. We provided a staff breakfast hosted by our wellbeing team and our food technology team and an afternoon tea hosted by our wellbeing team and our Hands on Learning Team (this involved students part of the Hands on Learning program). There was also a staff lunch hosted through the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), which was generously sponsored by the Caroline Springs Lions Club and District. These events provided an opportunity for staff to feel supported, and created environments to share meals and to check in with one another. We also provide EAP (Employee Assistance Program) cards yearly.
That all sounds amazing! Why does the R U OK?Day message mean so much to the staff and students at Brookside College?
Our R U OK?Day gets bigger every year. Students and staff members always look forward to this time of the year to recognise this great cause. We’ve noticed that it has built a positive mental health culture within the school. It continues to promote seeking support and encouraging others to check-in with their friends. Students are aware of the message of R U OK?Day and can identify these steps. Overall, it has improved the school community's awareness of mental health, from staff, students and parents/carers. It has increased the school community’s capacity to recognise people who may be needing support as well as how to approach situations related to this.
Thanks, we can't wait to hear what you have planned for 2022!
EDUCATOR RESOURCES
For students, learning how to support their peers and talk about how they feel is an important life lesson, so where better to start than in the classroom? These resources for primary, secondary and tertiary educators and institutions will help students everywhere have an R U OK? conversation.
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