Student services has recently decided to rally around mental health. Staff members a part of Communities in Schools and Dream Team are working to put on events that provide outlets to students struggling with their mental health.

On Tuesday, April 23rd Dream Team, Student Services and CIS hosted a table to share important information related to mental health awareness and suicide prevention. They passed out stickers and flyers in order to encourage students to continuously work towards maintaining a healthy mental status.

The student services department is hopeful to continue making strides towards sharing tips on how to relieve stress. May 6 was identified as the perfect date to do so. This is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day shines a national spotlight on the importance of caring for every child’s mental health and reinforces that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development. The 2019 Awareness Day theme is “Suicide Prevention: Strategies That Work.”

This past fall, some members of Dream Team and Communities In Schools (CIS) participated in a community collaborative event surrounding the screening of the film: Suicide: The Ripple Effect. Students viewed the film and had the opportunity to participate in a unique discussion with other students from around the district. The discussion centered on mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and how to create a positive, safe school culture.

“I am hopeful that we are able to continue teaching students positive strategies to tackle stressful situations. We’ve done a lot but we have a long way to go,” Communities in Schools Coordinator Nichelle Wilson said.