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Ipswich Town's mascot, Bluey, surprised pupils at Ranelagh Primary School during a special mental health awareness session on February 4.
Why it matters: The visit was part of Suffolk Mind's Bluesday Tuesday initiative, which teaches children essential mental health techniques and aims to fund similar sessions at other schools through 'pay it forward' fundraising.
The details: Children learned several key mental health skills during the session:
Reflective listening techniques for better peer support
'Dragon breathing' for stress management and clearer thinking
The importance of movement for mental wellbeing
What they're saying: "Children often speak to other children before they speak to adults, so learning to listen is such a useful skill for them to support each other," said Louise Taylor-Harris, Suffolk Mind's Children, Family and Young People's Service Manager.
Ranelagh Primary School Headteacher Nicky Ling added: "Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing is key to helping our children here at Ranelagh achieve and thrive in their learning."
The bottom line: The event, featuring the tagline "If I'm Blue, I can talk to you," aims to re-engage with schools Suffolk Mind has previously worked with while raising funds to expand the programme to more schools.
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