Mill Creek Middle School is preparing Jan. 31 as an entire day of conversation and activities aimed at engaging students in the subject of mental health.
According to the Association for Children’s Mental Health, “Addressing mental health needs in school is critically important because 1 in 5 children and youth have a diagnosable emotional, behavioral or mental health disorder and 1 in 10 young people have a mental health challenge that is severe enough to impair how they function at home, school or in the community.”
The ACMH also reports, “that even though mental illness affects so many of our kids aged 6-17 at least one-half and many estimate as many as 80% of them do not receive the mental health care they need.”
Schools are taking a deeper interest in kids’ mental health matters because such issues are prevalent and often develop during childhood and adolescence. The wisdom is to recognize it and treat it early. Early detection and intervention strategies work in that they can help improve resilience and the ability to succeed in school and life.
With this mind, Mill Creek is offering a day of workshops for students to highlight the importance of mental health. In an email sent out to parents, they said,
“We are excited to share with you about an upcoming event at Mill Creek. Mill Creek staff are preparing for an entire day of conversation and activity that will emphasize that Mental Health Matters!
“Research tells us that children’s mental health is without a doubt the most important aspect of any child’s social and cognitive development. There exist many evidence-based actions that children can take in their day-to-day life that reduce instances of stress and anxiety, and with the help of local experts, we want to take a day to teach our students how.
“We will have individuals with experience in the mental health field join us on January 31 and help educate our students on why positive mental health matters. Speakers and activity leaders will further our goal to show and tell students that their emotional well being is key to their success in school and beyond.
“Over the course of the daylong program, each student will participate in 4 workshops, 2 before lunch and 2 after. Students will have the opportunity to select the workshops they are interested in, and we hope to offer them at least a two dozen options. Presenters will provide students with opportunities to explore and engage in new ideas.
“If you would like to learn more about our “Mental Health Matters” day, please reach out to our school social worker and MHM coordinator, Molly Kalick at kalickm@dexterschools.org.
