Helping Others - Blue Tree Project

Blue Tree Project

Have you seen any bright blue trees at Ardross Primary School? We have three. There is one out the front on Links Road, one in the Kindy and the other is in the playground on the entrance to the oval. Our wonderful Year 6 students painted these last year during Mental Health Week, as part of the Blue Tree Project.

What are the blue trees for? The blue trees are to raise awareness around mental health and that ‘It’s OK not to be OK’. Some days, you might come to school not feeling your normal happy self.

You might prefer to have some time alone but if you’re really upset then it’s important to talk to a friend or an adult about your feelings. It’s not healthy to bottle those negative thoughts up inside. Find a friend, teacher, chaplain or a student councillor (someone who you feel comfortable speaking to) and tell them why you’re feeling upset.

The blue trees are a reminder to ‘check-in’ with a friend when you’re feeling a little bit ‘blue’. The same applies when you see one of your friends looking upset.

Use – ALEC to help you.

A – Ask ‘Are you okay?’

L – Listen for the answer

E- Encourage action (do you need an adult to help you work through this?)

C – Check in later to see how your friend is doing

 

From the Health and Wellbeing Team