FACULTY CONVERSATIONS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH As we prepare to embark on a new academic year, Middle and Upper School counselors Kelly Wiebe and Twanna Monds sat down to reflect together on their roles, social and emotional health at CA, the challenges of the last trimester, and the road ahead.
In a high performing school like Cary Academy, there can be tremendous pressure on our students. Pressure to get good grades. To look good. To fit in. Add to these the uncertainty and strife that seem to dominate today’s disturbing headlines and you have a significant challenge to emotional health. Indeed, recent research suggests that, as a country, we are facing a staggering mental health epidemic, with 70 percent of teenagers, aged 13 to 17, reporting that anxiety and depression are major issues amongst their peers.
for our students—although I love working with them individually—but for parents and teachers as well. MONDS: Addressing social and emotional health is so multidimensional—it is larger than just our students. It takes a true community effort, all of us working together to create a culture of wellness. I like to encourage everyone to look at social and emotional health as they do physical health, something you have to nurture and develop to reap the short- and long-term benefits throughout your life.
WIEBE: I’m often asked to explain what we
do as counselors and our role within the CA community. I’m curious, Twanna, how do you respond? MONDS: As counselors, I like to think
that we are advocates. It’s our job to ensure that parents, staff and faculty, and students alike feel comfortable, supported, and heard—regardless of the pressures, questions, stresses, or challenges they may be facing. I’ve always looked at counselors as the heart of the school, extending openness, kindness, empathy, and warmth to all. I hope that our students, parents, and staff feel that—that they feel supported with their concerns and needs.
WIEBE: That’s why I enjoy seeking out
opportunities to partner with parents and teachers as part of the process of supporting students. It might mean facilitating a largescale effort, like screening the documentary Screenagers for teachers during a faculty meeting, while offering another screening for parents in the evening. Or, on a smaller— but equally important scale—it might mean having individual meetings with a parent or teacher regarding a specific issue or concern.
WIEBE: Agreed! And you raise an
important point: I see us as a facilitators, resources, and a support system not just
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The Magazine of Cary Academy
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