The first week of May is traditionally Mental Health Awareness Week in Canada.

Guidance counsellor at Highwood High School Lori Isberg says while it's important to look after our own physical health it's also important to look after our mental health.

"We're coming in to the end of the semester, we're coming into exams so now's the time to kind of take a look at 'How're we doing, "how're we feeling," let's check back in and take a look at why mental health is so important," Isberg says. "Our Grade 12's are going off to post-secondary or they're still trying to decide where they're heading in life, it's a a big change that's coming their way, after all they've been in school for 12 years or 13 if they've been in kindergarten."

The school usually doesn't allow students to wear hats indoors, but Wednesday is "Hats On For Mental Health Day".  Isberg says it isn't just a matter of wearing a ball cap but students are being encouraged to get creative to create awareness and a dialogue about mental health issues.

Isberg says there's a serious underlying message but they want to have some fun, as they will from May 23 to 26.

"It used to be out tricycle races, but last year our trikes kind of took a bit of a hit so we have borrowed go-carts from Citizens On Patrol, and so we'll be doing go-cart races," she says.

Students will set up creatively dressed teams to compete each day with the winners advancing to the finals on Friday May 26. After the races there'll be a bar-b-que for everyone at the school.

Isberg says they'll also have Wellness Wednesdays where they'll talk to students about proactive ways they can deal with stress and anxiety as they deal with exams or just everyday pressures. On May 24 Canadian Mental Health will come in to make a presentation to students.