Ensuring a Healthy & School Year: Mind, Body & Soul
A new school year means getting new school supplies, maybe a new pair of kicks for P.E. class and thinking about seeing friends and getting involved in different activities. But how can parents, educators and students prepare for a healthy and happy school year? Macomb Community Unit School District No. 185 School Psychologist Stacie Petitgout said it starts with a consistent schedule.
'For parents, maintaining a consistent schedule and routine for your students is imperative. This is important across all aspects of their day as children thrive on consistency and routine,' she explained. 'The predictability of these routines and expectations can help ease anxiety in children and increase their confidence.'
Parents should also ensure that children are getting enough sleep each night, with school-aged children needing nine to 12 hours per night and teenagers needing eight to 10 hours each night, Petitgout pointed out. And it's not just about the hours needed to function well, it's making sure they're going to bed early enough to get adequate sleep.
'When students do not get enough rest, they often become irritable throughout the day, have difficulty paying attention to important instruction and can have behavioral outbursts that may lead them to getting into trouble,' she noted.
'Limiting screen time is also another important key to remaining mentally healthy. Studies have shown that excessive screen time has been linked to a variety of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, inattention and aggression which often leads to issues developing appropriate peer relationships. Screens give children constant visual and auditory stimulation without much down time.'
Eating healthy, nutritious foods and getting exercise are also components to a 'healthy mind,' and letting children know they can talk to their parents when issues arise can help as they navigate situations and issues outside of the home.
At school, several support staff stand ready to help the students in their respective buildings. Within MCUSD 185, each school (Lincoln, Edison, Macomb Middle School and Macomb High School) has their own psychologist, a social worker and one or more counselors, which Petitgout shared, allows the school service personnel in each of those buildings to have a daily pulse on the needs of the students and are available any time that a student needs to talk. Petitgout also divides time with another school psychologist to serve students at MacArthur Early Childhood Center and St.
Paul School.
'We have scheduled times in which we meet with students individually and in groups, and we also meet with students on an as needed basis,' she said.
'At my building (Lincoln), each morning we have a time specifically for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in which the teachers teach lessons specifically about mental health, emotions, friendships and a variety of other similar topics.'
School district staff, including the psychologists, social workers and counselors, are also connected with the Regional Office of Education #26 and its LEAP (Leading, Educating and Partnering in Schools) Program for grades four-12, which allows student advocates to meet with students and staff to help foster positive relationships and engagement between students/families and the school. The advocates set up success plans with students and families for emotional, behavioral and/or academic struggles and act as a liaison between the families and the schools to help students be successful.
What can parents and guardians do if they see their child struggling with mental health-related issues? Along with enlisting help from their student's school-based mental health team, Petitgout said the main thing parents need to be able to do is talk openly to their child.
'Have a conversation with your child regarding how they're feeling and use open-ended questions to allow them to be able to express what they're feeling,' she said. 'Our teams can also meet with the students several times throughout the week and can schedule sessions so they do not miss out on instruction. Reaching out to community-based mental health providers who specialize in children/youth is also a great idea.'
According to Petitgout, educators, particularly at the beginning of the school year, play an important role in their students' mental health. By establishing connections with their students early on is not only vital for their mental health, but for their academic success as well.
'We have students in our schools from a variety of backgrounds and some of them do not have the best home situations. Having a student be able to trust and connect with their teacher allows them the comfort and safety to open up to them if they need help,' she said.
'Throughout the school year, teachers need to watch for any sudden changes in student mood/behavior, any changes in appetite (not eating/eating too much), complaining of aches and pains more frequently than they used to, not taking care of personal hygiene, etc., having more trouble getting along with peers or having trouble thinking clearly.
This may indicate that the student may be experiencing something significant and may need to seek mental health support.'
While living in west central Illinois can sometimes feel like a 'mental health care desert' in terms of limited available resources, Petitgout noted that, in her opinion, it has become more standard, or the nomr, to talk openly about mental health challenges, support and resources.
'We might not have as much access to the level of care that we need for some of our students that require more specialized care, I feel that within the district, our students have more access to mental health professionals in each building than we ever have before,' she concluded. 'Parents are becoming more aware of their child's mental health needs much earlier than before as well. Parents, teachers and even students are advocating more for their mental health than ever before, which is wonderful. The earlier we can intervene the more likely it is that we can help them.'
