Volume 1, Issue 1 February 2017
Supporting Mental Health and Wellness Welcome to our newsletter for parents and guardians of students in Lillian Osborne High School. Each month, you will find information, opportunities and strategies to help you and your family connect with us on your teen's educational journey. Students tend to earn higher grades, become more motivated, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer and graduate, when schools, parents, families and communities work together to support learning. Our goal of student success and well-being is achievable when we work together.
FOR PARENTS
PATHWAYS
Spotlight on Mental Health Why is mental health an important topic to discuss in our school? Just like physical health we all have mental health. The phrase "mental health" means something positive. If we are mentally healthy, we are able to bounce back or have resilience in the face of adversity. We can build and maintain relationships, balance work and play and have self-confidence and high self-esteem. When we are mentally healthy we feel a deep sense of well-being and we are far better able to absorb new information, take good risks and be more responsible for our lives. In the school setting these skills are critical to educational success. At Lillian Osborne school we support positive mental health development by working with our students to manage their challenges, choose healthy lifestyles, discover their strengths, and connect with others in positive ways. Schools are an excellent setting in which to promote mental health, identify students in need and connect to service delivery. Why? Research tells us that 50% of mental health problems can be detected before the age of 14, but sadly many children and youth with mental health problems will not receive help. How can we change this? Recently Edmonton Public School Division trained educators in Dr. Stan Kutcher's Mental Health Literacy program. Mental Health Literacy for an individual can be defined as having good knowledge and skills about mental disorders resulting in the ability to recognize problems early and support access to appropriate help. Providing information to educators so that they can help to identify and refer students in need is one way to support positive mental health and decrease the stigma about receiving help. Lillian Osborne school will also be training a group of students about mental health, mental distress and mental illnesses. These students will be able to support positive mental health through school wide programming, sharing their knowledge about positive mental health and strategies to cope with problems as they arise. Each month in this newsletter we will share more information about mental health and mental illnesses that can affect youth. In late spring we will be offering mental health literacy training for parents so that you can learn about this important topic as well. Stay tuned for details. For more information about Dr. Stan Kutcher and Mental Health Literacy, please visit www.teenmentalhalth.org.
The Brain, Stress and Preparing for Learning Prefrontal Cortex: Responsible for thinking, learning and reasoning. It is like the “wise owl” of the brain. When the prefrontal cortex is not functioning at its best, some things you may see in students are risk-taking behaviors, self-isolation, sexualized behavior, disruptive behavior and difficulty with boundaries.
Hippocampus: The “scrapbook” of our brain, is responsible for memory and learning. It assists in managing responses to fear and threats as we learn from our past experiences. When the hippocampus is not functioning at it’s best, some things you may see in students are poor school achievement, inability to learn from experience, and a lack of “ common sense”.
When we feel happy, our brains are flooded with dopamine, which helps our prefrontal cortex function at its best and gets us ready to learn. Some activities that help encourage the release of dopamine are: participating in acts of kindness, connecting with others, physical activity and creativity. For optimal learning to occur, focus on reducing stress and participate in activities that support your overall mental health. For more information: www.teenmentalhealth.org
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Amygdala: The emotional center of the brain or the “guard dog”. When we are calm and peaceful, information runs freely from here to the prefrontal cortex. When we are feeling negative or stressed, information is inhibited and processed here in the amygdala instead, often triggering a fight/flight/freeze response. Because of this, fear and negative thinking actually shut down our thinking center. When the amygdala is not functioning at its best, some things you may see in students are heightened reactions or shutting down when they perceive a threat (this can be tone of voice, raising eyebrows, or eyes and body language) Students can also have more anxious and depressed feelings and anger management difficulties. Sometimes teens will dissociate when they feel threatened and this can look like defiance when really they feel threatened and are trying to protect themselves.
When teens can understand how their brain works they can learn to be mindful of how their brains are functioning and learn strategies that will help them learn and remember important information in school.
P A T HW A Y S
CONNECTS CORNER The Student Services and Connects Team work together to support success for all students at Lillian Osborne High School. Here are some of the activities our students have been involved in Semester 2.
Healthy Relationships focus in student services, including class presentations and activities. Random Acts of Kindness- gifts of flowers with healthy relationship tips Bannock Day First Nations, Metis and Inuit Luncheon Big Brothers and Big Sisters Mentorship GSA Button Making for Pink Shirt Day Rainbows group for students who are going through grief, loss or separation Movie Mondays and Floor Hockey Fridays League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Recruiting new students to join our Peer 2 Peer Initiative
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen at Lillian Osborne As the Success Coach at Lillian Osborne School, one of the things I end up thinking a lot about is how to help the boys I work with as they transition into young men. It’s a tough time for boys – and men -- in today’s world. Many of us are disconnected from our roots and the communities that traditionally fostered the transitions from boys to adults; many boys are exposed at (too) early ages to ideas, images, and experiences that make the world seem unsafe, unkind, and downright confusing; and many of the men who rise to prominence model questionable – and at times offensive – examples of what it means to be a man. In all of this, our boys are desperate for healthy, safe men who can teach and model healthy manhood for them. I asked some of the guys I work with what kinds of questions they have about becoming young men. Here are some of the things they said. What does it even mean to be a man? How do you learn to be a man if you grew up with all women, and where can I find men to learn from? What do I do if the men/father figures in my life never bothered to teach me the things I need to know These are tough questions. That’s why my practicum student Cole Smith and I have started The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: an after school group for young men (or anyone who identifies as such). We hope The League will provide a number of things: A safe, welcoming, and collaborative group of men – both young and old – who collectively desire to learn how to be better men; and to share the things they have already learned with each other. A chance to learn skills that young men need to know. Things like: how to dress appropriately for different situations (and how to tie a tie), how to throw a football (or other sportsy things), how to cook some basics for yourself (maybe even a steak), and how to respect both yourself and others (and act like it). A weekly gathering where everyone feels safe to share what they are thinking and feeling and where they don’t have to worry about impressing anyone. A sense of self-esteem based on: belonging to a community that values them, having the skills they need to face the new challenges life has in store for them, and the knowledge that they can learn other skills that become necessary. We are meeting Thursdays after school, and I look forward to sharing the knowledge and skills other men took the time to share with me – and I know I’ll learn something along the way. Matt Wiebe VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
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Lillian Osborne Pathways Presents
Learning and Mindfulness - What's the Connection? In the ever increasing busy-ness of life and school, how do we as adults help our youth build strategies in order to cope, manage, and be successful? Connecting mindfulness to how the brain works is a key understanding to why it's important as well as why it works. This session will help parents understand this connection between mindfulness and the brain. Strategies will be shared to develop a mindfulness practice that can result in improved academic success and well being for students and parents. Meghan Cox is Facilitator with Parkland School Division. She is currently completing her Masters in Neuroscience and loves to study and share what she knows about the brain. Where: library - Lillian Osborne High School When: Thursday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m. RSVP: Please register by calling Lillian Osborne Student Services
For more information contact Vicky Mamczasz or Dena Davis at Lillian Osborne High School 780-391-2450