A handson approach

By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE High School students Haylee Whykes, Shannon McNeill and James Cragie took a handson approach to mental health at the Community Wellbeing Day in Queen’s Park recently.
Community artist Fiona Rogers worked with students from the high school and local primary schools to create a banner featuring hundreds of handprints.
Student groups had worked with artists in the leadup to the festival to enrich and express their learning experiences of positive mental health through dance, drama, film and circus acts.
On the day Queen’s Park came alive with sand sculpture, hoops, juggling and drumming workshops, a barbecue hosted by Healesville Rotary and a stimulating program of performances.
The festival, held on 14 October as part of Mental Health Week, was supported by the Department of Education and Training, Eastern Health’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Shire of Yarra Ranges Youth Services.