SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY – Shorts Day
Posted on June 25, 2024
On Friday 21 June, The Friends’ School participated in SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY’s Shorts Day. By wearing shorts to school The Friends’ School raised money for mental health organisation SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY who work to promote positive mental health and prevent suicide by normalising conversations about mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it.
Shorts Day is run on the shortest day of the year and is a reminder that as a collective, we can do our part to brave the cold and brave the conversation about mental health. It is a reminder that it can be uncomfortable to be a little cold especially in shorts – as it can be to talk about mental health.
Year 11 student, Mae Farrer, said Shorts Day served as a chance to start conversations with peers.
If it (mental health issues) hasn’t affected you, it has affected someone you know.
During Shorts Day, 550 of our students wore shorts and made a gold coin donation to SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY. Students participated in a range of activities including a sunrise walk from The Domain to the Senior School Campus for a moment of reflection, before some time to talk about what Shorts Day means while enjoying a warm breakfast. The day also included a bake sale during recess and games on the lower green.
In the Middle School Students were able to wear shorts of their choice for a gold coin donation and also had a competition for the best shorts as part of a fashion parade. The winner for the staff was Mark Hynes with shorts featuring his dog Taco! Our amazing VET students sold hot chocolates for the campus with all the profits kindly donated to Speak Up Stay Chatty. The Gathering for Year 8 students also featured a related talk by students Lotte Pritchard and Billy Chatto on the importance of checking in with people and that it is okay to ask for help when you are having a hard time.
At our Senior School Campus, our School Council invited Mitch McPherson, founder of SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY to speak with students. Mitch established the organisation in 2013 after his younger brother Ty died by suicide. Mitch shares his personal story of loss to encourage others to speak up and seek help when they have issues or go through difficult times.
In total, The Friends’ School raised over $800 for SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY during Shorts Day.
If you or someone you know requires help for their mental health you can call Life Line on: 13 11 14.
Please enjoy some photos of the day below.
