FEBRUARY 2017 SPRING SEMESTER
christian brothers high school • enter to learn, leave to serve
falcon family news a message from the director of counseling DEAR CB FAMILIES: Recently, I read two articles about the increasing number of students with overwhelming feelings of stress, anxiety and depression seeking professional counseling. In a Time Magazine article entitled, “Teen Depression and Anxiety: Why the Kids Are Not Alright,” the author wrote, “anxiety and depression in high school kids have been on the rise since 2012 after several years of stability. Experts suspect that these statistics are on the low end of what’s really happening, since many people do not seek out help for anxiety and depression.” It’s a phenomenon that cuts across all demographics– suburban, urban and rural; those who are college bound and those that aren’t. In a recent article in The American School Counselor Association Journal, Mary E. McCormac stated, “there is currently a stress and anxiety crisis in our schools…” The article, “Address Student Anxiety”, discusses early intervention and multitiered systems of support for students. Experts can’t seem to agree on a specific reason why this increase has occurred; there are, of course, many causes and all individuals’ experiences contribute to their own distress. These causes could include: pressure and high expectations to achieve (from internal and external forces), jam-packed schedules, stress from the digital world, lack of adequate sleep, and social pressures. The CB Counseling Department has always prided itself on being a safe and supportive place for students to share their worry, sadness and other feelings. Overwhelming stress can sometimes disrupt our lives, making day-to-day coping very difficult and taking away some of the pleasure of living. Adolescents benefit from having a strong support system of caring adults and peers who listen and encourage positive change, while teaching important life-long coping skills. That has always been, and continues to be, a major strength of our CB community. February 6-10 is National School Counselor Week and this year’s theme is “Helping Students Reach Their
Potential.” As a 20-year member of our department, I am happy to say that our school leadership has continuously valued and supported the quality time we spend with students. We see students for personal, academic, career, college and wellness counseling and are a resource for helping families find referrals in the community. I would like to invite all parents to our annual Wellness Parent Evening, on Wednesday, February 15, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the George Cunningham ‘40 Performing Arts Center. Our topic this year is “Mental Health for Teens.” We will have our counseling staff, as well as a panel of other mental health professionals, on hand to present helpful information, create dialogue and answer your questions. We hope that you will be able to join us. The next day, February 16, we will have a student assembly on the same topic. Parents, please let us know how our school counselors can assist your student in reaching their potential and the exciting future that we know God has planned for them. Sincerely,
Kirk Purdy Director of Counseling
INSIDE THIS ISSUE • Counseling and Guidance
• Auction 2017
• Campus Ministry • Christian Service
• Media Visual & Performing Arts
• Student Activities
• Vocations
• Falcon 5K
• Falcon Family Faces
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