Mars Area School District is commemorating Children’s Grief Awareness Day by asking students, teachers and staff members to wear the color blue Thursday, Nov. 17.

The effort works to foster awareness of children grieving lost parents, siblings or other family members within the district’s schools. Students at the Mars Area Primary Center will attend a lesson based on the children’s book “My Blue is Happy” by Jessica Young and then complete a butterfly coloring page activity in tandem with that.

Mars Area fourth-graders will also complete Children’s Grief Awareness Day videos for their science, technology, engineering, art or mathematics (or STEAM) classes.These videos will then be compiled and presented to the whole school on Thursday, Nov. 17. Students will receive butterfly cutouts on which they can write supportive messages or pictures or write the names of people or animals they’ve lost.

Mars Area Centennial School will also make announcements about Grief Awareness Day, highlighting grief awareness books in the school library. Students can add butterflies to a memorial wall to commemorate the day, too.

Organizers invite students to participate in the Caring Place poster contest during art class. Anyone wanting to submit a poster for consideration must provide one to an art teacher or school counselor no later than Friday, Jan. 20.

Students and families interested in more information can find this by contacting the appropriate school building or by visiting www.childrensgriefawarenessday.org.