Dear Helen Keller Middle School Families, 

I had the good fortune to be trained by Dr. Mark Bracket on three different occasions.  Dr. Bracket is the director of the Center of Emotional Intelligence at Yale University and the author of several books, most recently the bestseller, Permission to Feel (which gets 4-stars from me).  One of the most poignant lessons I learned from Dr. Bracket, is that emotions are neither good nor bad, they are our brain's way of interpreting events and thoughts we are experiencing.  Emotions are data! While many emotions are uncomfortable if we can take a second to interpret what they mean we can plan a course of action with the best possible outcomes.  

Anxiety is a very prevalent example.   A recent article in the NY Times reported the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is calling for all children over eight to be screened for anxiety disorders (see article here).   In the midst of the mental health crisis, our country is facing it is important to remember that anxiety, is not a "bad" emotion, it is data.  And if your child is feeling anxious, that is not necessarily a disorder.  Think of anxiety as a dimmer switch, rather then an on/off switch says clinical psychologist Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary author of Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad).   Mild anxiety, being nervous and excited (like butterflies in your stomach) tell us something is important, we have hopes for a certain outcome and may be disappointed by an unanticipated outcome (think of letting in the winning goal, not getting called back from the audition, or being rejected by a peer).  Being socially anxious about an upcoming gathering of friends is fine, but staying home because of those worries is a problem.  Anxiety can be dialed all the way up to being panicked or devastated.    When our daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia, my wife and I were freaking out, we thought we were in a nightmare.  The level of anxiety we experienced was tremendous.  Instead of being immobilized, the anxiety gave us focus to make important decisions, and gave us the energy to fight and be brave alongside our child.  In the end, the experience made us a stronger family, more able to deal with crises and unexpected stressors than before her diagnosis. If we had fallen into despair and were unable to act, then that would indicate an anxiety disorder.  

There are a lot of similarities between mental health and physical health.  We know what makes our physical bodies stronger; a well-balanced diet, restorative sleep, check-ups with our physicians, and regular strenuous exercise.  We plateau physically if we never lift more weight, walk a little further, or swim the extra lap.  The same holds true for our and our children's mental health.  While we want to protect our kids from any discomfort, some anxiety will build their emotional strength.  We are descendants of our most anxious ancestors and have evolved to handle much more stress than we expect, and kids are more resilient than we think! As parents and adults in their lives, our job is to push them to new experiences while supporting them through their anxieties.  We need to listen first, then help them strategize and overcome these stressors, which will build their mental strength for the anxieties that are ahead.  If it ever gets overwhelming, our team of mental health experts is here to help.  They have helped families deal with every possible anxiety and stressor.  It is my hope that this national crisis leads to more open and honest dialogue and a destigmatization of mental health care.

What better way to reduce your anxiety than checking out all the amazingness happening at HKMS this past week! From mind-blowing technology in science classes to beautiful art, and timely outside learning,  it's all here! 

I hope everyone enjoys this edition of the newsletter and has a great weekend!

Steven Clapp, Ed.D.

Principal

Helen Keller Middle School

360 Sport Hill Rd, Easton, CT 06612

(203) 268-8651

sclapp@er9.org

Reading and discussing To Kill a Mockingbird seemed all to appropriate in the setting of our newly "roofed" outside classroom.

At HKMS we believe all students should be thriving whether performing below, at, or above grade-level standards.  This section will highlight just one of the ways we support learners and/or extend their thinking. 

All of the wonderful activities, events, and learning going on around HKMS this week (and beyond!).