Massive Mental Health Week

For Queensland Mental Health Week, Proserpine State High School ran a series of activities for staff and students every day in an inaugural event: ‘Healthy Mind, Body And Soul At Prossie’.

For the week’s culmination, the school hosted a Thursday lunch time barbecue, combining with the official opening of its new quadrangle, and inviting guests from community organisations.

The free, whole school barbecue was flanked by organisations like headspace, Youth Space, Whitsunday Counselling and Support, Lives Lived Well, Airlie Fitness, and more.

It saw the school’s internal groups – Big Games, Anime Group, Drumming, LGBTQIA+, STEM, Indigenous Art Project and more – celebrate the opening of the new space as well as their own individuality.

Proserpine State High School Guidance Officer Karen O’Keefe was the “driving force” behind the weeklong mental health awareness event at the school which included art therapy, mindful craft and meditation, and a talk and walkathon.

“This week has been all about mental health. We’ve run stress ball making, yoga, and it was all in the name of awareness,” Ms O’Keefe said.

“We’ve never done anything like it before and we’re just taken aback by the support from the community that we’ve had.”

The school’s student advisory centre – Ms O’Keefe’s team - plans to run and expand the annual event each year.

“Drawing awareness to mental wellbeing and what we can do to promote positive wellbeing was the major goal of the week,” Ms O’Keefe said.

“What we can do to help ourselves and focusing on that in a positive light.”

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Coinciding with Proserpine State High School’s quadrangle opening, the school culminated its mental health week celebrations, opening the door to local awareness organisations

Kids donned their fun socks to celebrate the final day of their mental health week event

Even the teachers got in on the fun