HEALTHY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE (HSI) SPRING 2022 NEWSLETTER
MESSAGE FROM SEQUOIA HEALTHCARE DISTRICT Dear Healthy Schools Initiative (HSI) community, After many months of masking, symptom surveillance, and continued vaccination, San Mateo County has followed state guidance and recently eased up on Covid precautions. However, our school communities have persevered through a very difficult 2021-22 school year and in fact our county case numbers have recently increased. We must remain vigilant as summer break approaches and especially as we prepare for the new school year. Please encourage your friends and family members to continue masking, have Covid test kits on hand, and to get vaccinated and boosted. This is the only way to end this pandemic. Once again, I’d like to thank our school leaders, teachers and staff, school nurses, parents, and all of our students for coming together this school year with a focus on health and safety. Sequoia Healthcare District is here to serve you with our ongoing annual commitment of over $4.5 million for schools, and we are hopeful for a better year ahead. Please visit seqhd.org/hsi to learn more about our Healthy Schools Initiative. Here are some photos from our May 21st "Health Fair on the Square" in honor of Sequoia Healthcare District’s 75th Anniversary!
Karen E. Li, MD Director of School Health Healthy Schools Initiative
SCHOOL DISTRICTS WE SERVE
HEALTH FAIR ON THE SQUARE
SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
COVID LLESD continues to manage COVID as the pandemic evolves. The wellness coordinator and nurses meet twice monthly with colleagues in neighboring school districts and the San MAteo County Departments of Public Health and Education to keep abreast of any changes in guidelines. In March, many students and staff welcomed the first opportunity to remove their masks and see their peers' smiling faces, as masks were previously required both indoors and outdoors on all LLESD campuses.
Congratulations Nell Curran!
LLESD is now partnering with WorkSite Labs to offer weekly PCR testing to all interested students and staff. Wellness Coordinator Nell Curran received the Association of California Administrators Region 5 Administrator of the Year award in recognition of her leadership managing the district’s COVID response.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CAMPUS EVENTS Although LLESD has provided in-person instruction since Summer 2020, it wasn’t until 2022 that campus doors were open to anyone but students and staff. The spring calendar is therefore full of events designed to bring the community together to celebrate each other and our health. The Wellness Coordinator has been especially involved in organizing the Come to Campus Event where students and families will walk or run 1-mile and 5k courses, participate in recess and field day activities, enjoy fruit smoothies, and draw with local artist the Chalk Granny.
LLESD SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
PAGE | 02
SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
WELLNESS COMMITTEE AND SEL A committee of LLESD employees meets monthly to address the physical, socialemotional, and mental health of students and staff. In fall 2023 the committee intends to launch a comprehensive character skills program; every month a skill such as respect or empathy will be taught, practiced, celebrated, and reinforced through a variety of district-wide opportunities. The program was piloted in February with a focus on kindness. Students read kindness-themed stories during library time, completed classroom activities describing how they are kind to each other, created a kindness rock garden at the entrance of the elementary school under the direction of the PTA, and earned recognition when families or school staff observed students being kind towards others.
LLESD SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
PAGE | 03
SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL LLESD looks forward to expanding its focus on Safe Routes to School. In November 2021 staff received resources to teach students about Ruby Bridges, the first African-American student to integrate into an elementary school in the South. In celebration of Ms. Bridges’ continued contributions to equity and inclusion in education, students were encouraged to walk to school in her honor on Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. Students will again be encouraged to walk, bike, scoot, or bus to school during May’s Roll to School Month and their transportation will be recorded as part of a school-wide alternate transportation challenge. Moving forward LLESD would like to prioritize more Safe Routes to School education and infrastructure projects to help make alternative transportation more accessible and safe for all. LLESD is partnering with the Stanford Our Voice project to capture input from the community which will inform future funding, programming, and infrastructure. Students and families are invited to download the Stanford Discovery tool app to record video and audio about their perspectives about their commutes to school. Middle school students will also participate in a related Stanford research opportunity where they will use virtual reality devices to reimagine their commute to school. Students and families have also been encouraged to participate in the Menlo Park City Safe Routes to School Program, which offers resources such as a video challenge to students across town.
LLESD SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
PAGE | 04
SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
PARENT EDUCATION Understanding Severe Mental Health Conditions in Children and Youth Steve Smith, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Professor of Psychology, UCSB
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 5:30pm – 6:30pm PDT Online Event (Live) Mental health is an important part of children’s overall health and well-being. What should parents know about severe mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, and more? Join Steve Smith, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Professor of Psychology, UC Santa Barbara, to understand more about severe mental health conditions in children and youth. Register here.
QPR (Question Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training (Virtual) Alejandro Martinez, PhD, QPR Master Trainer, Stanford University
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 3:30pm – 5:30pm PDT Online Event (Live) QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Join Dr. Alejandro Martinez, QPR Master Trainer and Executive Director of Threat Assessment at Stanford University, for a special (virtual) QPR Training session. Register here.
SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
BOLETÍN IES DE PRIMAVERA DE 2022
EDUCACIÓN PARA PADRES Comprensión de las condiciones graves de salud mental en niños y jóvenes Steve Smith, PhD, psicólogo clínico, profesor de psicología, UCSB
Martes, 24 de mayo de 2022 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT Evento en linea (en vivo) La salud mental es una parte importante de la salud y el bienestar general de los niños. ¿Qué deben saber los padres sobre problemas graves de salud mental como ansiedad, depresión, esquizofrenia, psicosis y más? Entrar Steve Smith, PhD, psicólogo clínico y profesor de psicología, UC Santa Barbara, para comprender más acerca de las condiciones graves de salud mental en niños y jóvenes Enlace de zoom aquí.
QPR (Question Persuade, Refer) Capacitación para la prevención del suicidio (virtual) Alejandro Martinez, PhD, QPR Master Trainer, Stanford University
Miércoles, 25 de mayo de 2022 3:30pm – 5:30pm PDT Online Event (Live) QPR significa Preguntar, Persuadir y Referir: los tres pasos simples que cualquiera puede aprender para ayudar a salvar una vida del suicidio. Entrar Dr. Alejandro Martinez, QPR Master Trainer y Director Ejecutivo de Evaluación de Amenazas en Stanford, para una sesión especial (virtual) de entrenamiento. Enlace de zoom aquí.
BOLETÍN IES DE PRIMAVERA DE 2022
INICIATIVA ESCUELAS SALUDABLES (IES) BOLETÍN DE PRIMAVERA DE 2022
MENSAJE DEL DISTRITO DE SALUD DE SEQUOIA Querida comunidad de la Iniciativa Escuelas Saludables (IES), Después de muchos meses de enmascaramiento, vigilancia de síntomas y vacunación continua, el condado de San Mateo ha seguido la guía estatal y recientemente ha aliviado las precauciones de Covid. Sin embargo, nuestras comunidades escolares han perseverado a través de un año escolar 2021-22 muy difícil y de hecho nuestro número de casos del condado ha aumentado recientemente. Debemos permanecer atentos a medida que se acercan las vacaciones de verano y especialmente mientras nos preparamos para el nuevo año escolar. Anime a sus amigos y familiares a continuar enmascarando, tener kits de prueba de Covid a mano y vacunarse. Esta es la única manera de poner fin a esta pandemia. Una vez más, me gustaría agradecer a nuestros líderes escolares, maestros y personal, enfermeras escolares, padres y todos nuestros estudiantes por unirse este año escolar con un enfoque en la salud y la seguridad. El Distrito de Salud de Sequoia está aquí para servirle con nuestro compromiso anual continuo de más de $4.5 millones para las escuelas, y tenemos la esperanza de un mejor año por delante. Visite seqhd.org/hsi para obtener más información sobre nuestra Iniciativa de Escuelas Saludables. ¡Aquí hay algunas fotos de nuestra "Feria de Salud en la Plaza" del 21 de mayo en honor al 75 aniversario del Distrito de Salud de Sequoia!
Karen E. Li, MD Directora de Salud Escolar Healthy Schools Initiative
DISTRITOS ESCOLARES
FERIA DE SALUD EN LA PLAZA