Mindfulness is an important part of our emotional and mental wellbeing. In the midst of these fast-paced and uncertain times, practicing mindfulness can help us take stock of our emotions and feelings. Studies show that practicing mindfulness regularly can help reduce stress, improve mood, be more emotionally alert, listen more attentively, communicate more clearly, and increase self-awareness.

All Liberty Hills families have free access to an online resource called Inner Explorer. We have utilized Inner Explorer at Liberty Hills over the past month--even before the dismissal period began--in an effort to support our students’ emotional well-being. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, your Liberty Hills teachers and I noticed that many of our students could benefit from the positive outcomes of practicing mindfulness. Several classrooms have already been practicing mindfulness using Inner Explorer with great success. Students enjoy it and look forward to the times they are able to take part in our Inner Explorer guided mindfulness lessons.

Inner Explorer is easy to use. It is an all online platform of pre-recorded mindfulness sessions. The narrators of each session calmly and easily walk you through what to do. The interface is an easy "just press play" format that requires no previous experience and can be incorporated into any part of your day. We encourage our families to make this mindfulness practice a part of their distance learning routine. You can practice individually, together as a family, or each child can practice mindfulness on their own.

To set up your account, click on the link below. You will be asked to input your name, email address, and designate your account password to get started. Once your account is set-up, you’re ready to go!

• Inner Explorer Setup Link: https://innerexplorer.org/compass/adminInvites?param1=mldUbR/CburUI2hhfR7rKQ==&param2=+4fYqZaXOQdeKegT3vwCaA==

For more information, Inner Explorer has prepared some helpful videos: Welcome to Inner Explorer and Introduction to Inner Explorer. Additional resources can be found in your account “Toolkit” after you have created an account and successfully login. For any technical support questions about the program, please feel free to email tech@innerexplorer.org.

This unprecedented time in our nation is certainly stretching us all. Current efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have upended any sense of normalcy in our lives. Our home routines are dramatically different, and so too are students’ school experiences. Beyond new distance learning efforts at home, students now find themselves unable to participate in many of the extracurricular activities, sports, and social events that so many look forward to. In this uniquely challenging time, we must be sure to safeguard the emotional and mental health of ourselves and our children. It is with this thought in mind that we announce our school’s official participation in the SafeUT app resource.

SafeUT is a tool designed to provide confidential two-way communication with licensed crisis counselors, primarily through a mobile app (however, web access is also available). The SafeUT program is coordinated through the University of Utah’s Crisis Center at the University Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI). Anyone who calls or starts a chat will be connected directly with one of their crisis counselors. The app is free to download and all tips and interactions are treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Parents, if you ever find yourself in a situation with a child in crisis, you are not alone. The resources available to you via text or phone can put you in direct contact with licensed crisis counselors. They are available to help 24/7. Following the initial support you are able to receive from these trusted professionals, they may also make recommendations for resources you could turn to for ongoing support.

Beyond its function as a crisis support tool, the SafeUT app allows individuals to submit anonymous tips about concerns for a particular child’s wellbeing. If a person submits a SafeUT tip that is directly related to a student at Liberty Hills Elementary, the SafeUT app will forward the tip to the school administration so that we can assist in supporting the student. While we anticipate Liberty Hills tips to be generally infrequent, we will quickly and thoughtfully attend to any that come our way.

We recognize that many of the teens and adults in our community may encounter situations in which family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers are experiencing a mental health emergency. Such concerns can also be confidentially reported through the SafeUT app, and the concern will be forwarded onto the appropriate school or support agency to provide the individual or family with help. The app is fully functional to families outside of the school system.

The SafeUT mobile app is available for free in the Apple and Google Play stores. Search and select “SafeUT” and download the app to your device.