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
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING Kindness Week This spring PVSD continues to make social emotional learning and students’ mental health a priority. Our middle school celebrated Kindness Month by holding our annual Kindness Fair. Various booths were set up during recess that gave student’s opportunities to create kindness cards, paint kindness rocks, sign a kindness pledge, and several other activities that highlighted the importance of kindness. Students were also taught SEL lessons on the positive psychological impact of spreading good to others.
MENTAL HEALTH This semester we continue to work on Staff and Student Wellness. In February 2022 we partnered with Challenge success to administer the Challenge Success Faculty and Staff Survey. This is a survey for school staff which measures perceptions of their own well-being, stress, support structures, feelings of belonging, and their perceptions of the student experience as well as their comfort with the implementation of practices that support student well-being and engagement. Topics included: School climate Faculty/staff engagement and belonging Faculty/staff stress and workload Student stress and workload Curriculum and assessment (impact on students) Challenge Success will also help facilitate a staff workshop in May 2022 to address findings from this survey. Next month we will be celebrating National Mental Health Awareness Month and will focus on educating students about mental health and what to do if they or a friend need support. Lessons will be taught that will help destigmatize any myths around individuals who struggle with these challenges.
PVSD SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
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SPRING 2022 HSI NEWSLETTER
SAFETY Managing COVID 19 continues to be a significant aspect of our work. A big thank you to Nurse Abbe Keane and Principals Hovland and Shima for working tirelessly to help keep us on top of this endeavor. In partnership with Worksite Labs all staff continue to be tested weekly, while all students are invited to participate in the same. In addition, PVSD continues to partner with Worksite Labs to make testing opportunities available to the Community on a weekly basis as well.
EQUITY LENS Youth today have access to a range of words and concepts for understanding gender diversity. Students and staff have a variety of gender identities and expressions, impacting everything from instructional strategies, school culture, personnel matters and relationships within all levels of district operations. The District welcomed Lark Doolan, Executive Director of Queer Humboldt to initiate a foundational TK-8 training for all staff and administrators covering relevant vocabulary and concepts relating to gender diversity, as well as strategies for creating a safe and supportive school environment for people who are transgender, non binary, and gender expansive. We plan to expand on this training in the Fall of 2022.
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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