R U OK Day | Miss Nikita Bedwell

Today, as a College, we acknowledged R U OK Day with a before-school celebration led by the Terrace Advocacy Group.

As students arrived at the College this morning, they entered through a large balloon archway and were greeted by a ‘welcome committee’ in bright yellow R U OK shirts. This welcome committee offered a friendly face, a warm hello, a peer-to-peer ‘R U OK’ check-in and an opportunity to build an authentic connection. Included in this ‘welcome committee’ were the College Captain, Vice Captains, Terrace Advocacy Group and Year 11 volunteers. To top off the morning’s wellbeing celebrations, there was a free sausage sizzle for all students and live music performed by some of our Year 11 and 12 Music students.

R U OK Day is a suicide prevention campaign calling on all of us to let the people we care about know we're here for them. The Terrace Advocacy Group have strongly focused on men’s mental health over the last year by developing their ‘Gorilla Nest’ initiative at lunchtime. Students created this initiative to help encourage their peers to open up a healthy dialogue with each other about their wellbeing in a way that is not intimidating and is helping break down the stigma around men not being able to share their thoughts and feelings. The Terrace Advocacy Group hopes that both their ‘Gorilla Nest’ initiative and today’s R U OK Day campaign will have a ripple effect that positively supports their peers' mental health.

At today’s End of Term Liturgy this afternoon, the following reflective prayer will be shared to commemorate R U OK Day.

Lord Jesus, you said, ‘come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’

Lord, help us to be a place of rest for our friends, peers and anyone around us who feels wearing or burdened. May we bring them into your loving presence and show them they never walk alone.

Open our eyes, so we may see and identify the needs of others who are struggling. Attune our ears, so we may listen authentically to what weighs on the hearts of others and be of service by being present.

In our own times of struggle, may we too feel your friendship Lord and trust that in every circumstance you are with us.

Live Jesus In Our Hearts … Forever.
St Joseph … Pray for us.

Amen.