A children’s picture book author with a strong connection to the Rochester district was at the heart of a primary school visit earlier this month to promote children’s mental health.
Rick Foster and Andy Parthenopoulos, his co-collaborator in the Why Worry Wally Wellbeing Incursions, formed a partnership to address mental health issues in children through literature in 2020, on the back of Rick’s Why Worry Wally? picture book.
Rick’s sister, Jenny Mustey, has lived in Lockington for more than 30 years and has a strong connection to literature through her senior role with Campaspe Shire’s library network.
“Jen’s kids went through Rochester secondary and extending our focus regionally was important to us, particularly after the devastating floods of October last year,” Rick said, explaining his now grown-up niece now lived at Elmore and his nephew was at Numurkah.
Rick also lived in Shepparton between the ages of eight and 11, which adds to his affection for the region.
Wally Wellbeing Incursions have been happening throughout the state for the past two years and Rochester was the latest school to benefit from the pair’s enthusiastic exploration of a delicate and challenging topic.
Rick said his aim was to create a story that was first and foremost fun and engaging, but used the theme of worries to normalise these feelings and act as a conversation-starter for children and their parents around the subject.
“I’d love to reach as many children and parents as I can to foster the discussion around anxiety, something that I’m extremely passionate about and is very dear to my heart,” he said, explaining his now 17-year-old daughter had suffered severely from anxiety in her primary school years.
He has since partnered up with Kids Helpline and a percentage of profits from every book is donated to the organisation (see kidshelpline.com.au).
Rick described the wellbeing incursions for schools as an engaging way to deliver the mental health message to Prep to Year 4 children.
“It allows us to talk about their worries and learn easy to understand strategies for managing them,” he said.
The pair have also been involved in a fundraiser for not-for-profit Smiling Mind, where on the one day they combined a 50km walk with an incursion day at a Melbourne primary school.
Smiling Mind encourages mindfulness meditation through their app and resources to aid mental and physical health.
In the Why Worry Wally Wellbeing Incursion, Rochester students were involved in movement-based activities that encourage healthy attitudes to exercise, along with mindfulness-based breathing techniques and received instruction on positive approaches to understanding emotions and applying strengths.
“Kids have lots of challenges, especially coming out of COVID, and we felt we could help deliver valuable wellbeing lessons in an authentic way,” Rick said.
“Traditionally we haven’t focused on specific schools, but in Rochester’s case it was a little different.”
Rick and Andy were also able to deliver boxes of books for Rochester primary and secondary schools following a “Pay-it-forward” donation organised by renowned Melbourne-based book store The Little Bookroom, which is a regular supporter of community fundraisers.
“Leesa Lambert (The Little Bookroom owner) was keen to be involved and we dropped off seven boxes of books to Rochester secondary and four boxes to the primary school,” Rick said.
“They were also involved in re-stocking the book shelves of schools affected by the fires that ravaged Gippsland at the end of 2019.”
Rick, who self published his book in 2019, said the impact of COVID-19 had made his book even more relevant to today’s children.
The former creative agency owner is a father of two and himself suffered severe anxiety.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of resources around when my daughter was in primary school and that is what motivated me to write the book,” Rick said.
“It is designed as a nice way to start up a conversation and after everything that has happened with COVID it is quite timely.”
Andy Parthenopoulos was a full-time teacher who recognised kids’ wellbeing related challenges during the remote-learning periods.
“He heard me speak about this program during an online event I was speaking at and reached out to me,” Rick said.
“Together we have shaped these incursions around existing curriculum.
“We don’t just go in and chat, we engage with students and leave them with tools they can use in the future.”
Schools interested in being involvd in a Why Worry Wally? incursion can contact Rick Foster at rick.foster@bigpond.com, find out more on the website (https://www.rickfoster.com.au) or speak directly to the author on 0412 608 359.