Advocacy Topic - Mental Health and Wellness
We are dedicated to providing the best mental health services for our students and advocate for the importance of mental health and wellness. Connecting back to our mission statement of fostering an environment in which students are curious, accepting, and mindful, focusing on mental health as our advocacy topic allows students to explore and understand themselves. We want students to feel comfortable talking about their feelings and asking for help when they need it. Finally, we want students to be mindful about their own mental health as well as the struggles of others. We plan to implement this topic of mental health and wellness throughout much of our school structure, including the categories below:
Curriculum:
At Rising Star Charter we provide students with opportunites to engage with course materials that reflect their experiences and cultural identities
All students have a chance to share about their lives and backgrounds, learn about each others backgrounds and value different and cultural linguistic identities
We provide explicit social emotional learning instruction (SEL)
We provide students with frequent opportunities to develop, practice, and reflect on social emotional skills (for example, relationship building) in ways that promote self-awareness, are developmentally appropriate, and are culturally responsive
Extracurricular activities:
We incorporate extracurricular activities such as clubs that support exploration of all different cultures and backgrounds so that all students feel that they have a place where they can express themselves and be heard, seen, and understood
We have a wellness promotion program/club that students can participate in
Having a wellness club continues the promotion of mental health and wellness for students outside of school, so students can participate in activities that are further explained on our extracurricular activities page
Mentoring/guidance:
We create supportive relationships between teachers, counselors, staff and students
We provide regular opportunities for students to develop positive relationships with their peers, teachers, and other adults in the building
This helps students feel more connected, seen, and supported in their school community
Gives them the opportunity to ask questions, and receive positive direction and guidance on school related topics and personal topics as needed
Instructional practices:
We set high, positive academic expectations for all students
Students are provided with specific constructive feedback to help them improve academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally
We want to incorporate holistic practices, such as mindfulness exercises, physical exercise and movement, meditation, yoga, and calming routines to promote self regulation
We have our teachers set aside moments throughout the day to include these exercises for students
School management:
We believe that students feel more safe, affirmed, and welcomed when they feel that their school community allows them to bring their full humanity to school and further develop their identities
Educators must recognize the power of language and aim to develop school environments that affirm students' developing identities and sense of belonging
We include policies that encourage frequent calls to home to connect with families and caregivers as well as allowing extended timelines for completing coursework, both of which promote mental wellness over grades
We are a trauma informed school through ongoing professional development training that enables our teachers to be consistent, predictable, and respectful to students
This training also provides teachers with opportunities to learn about the signs of trauma in students and how to properly respond to it
School routines and procedures:
We always provide predictable routines as well as predictable roles, routines and orderly transitions between classes and activities to help students feel more secure in classrooms
We provide our students with levels of autonomy and independence so that they feel capable and learn to manage themselves
We also provide a balance of cues and well explained guidance for how to participate and complete classroom activities
National Organizations Present in Rising Stars Charter:
Active Minds - https://www.activeminds.org/
A national organization dedicated to “changing the conversation about mental health” by focusing on mental wellness and reducing the stigma of mental illness
This organization strives to achieve wide-ranging positive effects by enhancing young people’s mental health though peer-peer interactions
A way for participants to connect with and learn about one another
Started out as a program for college students and their mental wellbeing, but recently expanded to K-12 schools,
Provides local chapters with a range of services and information to support its mission
Print and online resources on mental health, and thematic programming (Mental Health Month, Stress Less Week) which are things the school could participate in – also include speakers about mental health that could come to the school
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Mental Health Action Guide - https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health-action-guide/index.html
The CDC provides many services for mental health and wellness including providing schools with a mental health action guide to help prevent mental health problems among students in school and promote positive behavior and mental health of all students
The parts of it that our school will take on and incorporate are:
Increasing students’ mental health literacy by including classroom-based mental health education curricula
Promoting mindfulness through classroom based mindfulness education as well as providing time for students to both independently and in small groups practice mindfulness
Promoting social, emotional, and behavioral learning that offers targeted education focused on teaching social skills and emotional development
Engaging students in coping skills training groups to provide psychosocial skills
Support staff well being through mindfulness-based training programs