HEALTHY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE (HSI) FALL 2021 NEWSLETTER
MESSAGE FROM SEQUOIA HEALTHCARE DISTRICT Dear Healthy Schools Initiative (HSI) community, The Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine has recently been authorized for use in children, ages 5 to 11. This is an essential step in combatting this pandemic. Not only will the vaccine help prevent children from getting Covid-19, but it will help prevent or reduce the spread of the virus, which in turn protects our entire community. Please watch for announcements about vaccination of your child from San Mateo County Health, San Mateo County Office of Education, and your health care provider. This issue of the HSI newsletter includes updates from your school district about supports and programs to help during the reopening of schools. Thank you to parents, teachers, and staff who take part in the daily task of ensuring that students stepping onto our campuses are healthy and ready to learn. I want to especially thank our dedicated school nurses, who work tirelessly to keep all children safe in our eight Healthy Schools Initiative partner school districts. We encourage you to learn more about our Healthy Schools Initiative by visiting: seqhd.org/hsi.
Karen E. Li, MD Director of School Health Healthy Schools Initiative
PRESENTATIONS
SCHOOL DISTRICTS WE SERVE
ACHD Conference
Parent Green Folder
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
MENTAL HEALTH SPOTLIGHT Our fantastic mental health provider team attended a day-long training surrounding expressive art therapy. They learned new skills and activities to practice with their clients- from art projects to movement, drama to song. These are important tools to have, as some folks don't feel comfortable, or able, to express themselves in the more "traditional" talk therapy space. Thank you to Kiersten, our mental health lead, for putting this training together! And here is a great time to mention that our local Sequoia Healthcare District continues to support our schools with funding for mental and physical health and well-being resources for schools and community members, and we are so appreciative of their partnership. “It's a special job to be able to work with students and create a safe space for them to process their feelings and learn new coping skills to help them get through hard moments so they can be more present in school. Getting to participate in the expressive arts training left me feeling creatively inspired and helped me expand the approaches I have to work with students in expressing and regulating feelings.” ~Briana McCarthy, School Therapist, Heather Elementary School
THE DYNAMIC DUO NURSES! We now have a second full-time nurse! Our nurses, Page and Jennifer, are hard at work, ensuring that we are taking the proper COVIDprecautions, supporting students when they are sick, and brainstorming preventative measures to plant seeds for students' long-lasting health and wellbeing. Welcome Nurse Jennifer, who came to us from the labor and delivery unit in Palo Alto- we are so excited to have you!
SCSD FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PAGE | 02
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
INTRODUCING NEW HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIRECTOR Our new Director of Health and Wellness has started with the District! Ilana moved here from Boston, where she was working in higher education student health, and is excited to get the ball rolling with supporting the district's wellness goals. Her priorities are to hear from every population, from students to staff, teachers to parents and guardians, to ensure the entire community feels supported. Please reach out to introduce yourself and let her know anything you're hoping to see.
BE KIND TO YOURSELF As we continue to ride the waves of emotion that come with living through a pandemic, climate chaos, and extreme conflict in this country, we want to remind you all to take space for yourself to process your emotions. Anything you are feeling is valid, you are worthy of rest and respite
Wellness
from the heaviness of the world. Thank you for continuing to show up in this community. Here is a list of resources to explore, and additionally please take a moment to refresh yourself on the district’s partnership with Care Solace, thanks again to Sequoia Healthcare District for ensuring our students are well supported.
Journaling
JOURNALING PROMPTS Each newsletter, you will be provided with journaling prompts to support you in understanding yourself better, and slow down mentally and emotionally. (Feel free to do these prompts with your students!) How are my mind and my body doing; is there anything I can do differently to better support myself? What am I feeling proud of myself for lately? What is one thing I can do each day that will fully engage me and help me feel most present?
SCSD FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PAGE | 03
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PARENT EDUCATION
MYTHBUSTERS: The Truth About the California Public Higher Education System Cuca Acosta (UC); Bernie Day (CCC); April Grommo, EdD (CSU); and Heather Lattimer, EdD (CSU)
Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 5:30pm – 6:30pm PT, Online Event (Webinar) In this webinar, representatives of the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems will counter some of the most common myths about each system and the systems’ relationships to one another. Register here.
Parent Forum #10 (English) – Helping Your Child Build Good Habits Eran Magen, PhD, founder, Parenting for Humans
Friday, November 12, 2021, 12:00pm – 1:00pm PT, Online Event (Meeting)) Join us for a new Parent Forum (English) with Eran Magen, PhD, a parent-child communication expert. Register here.
Friends, Frenemies, and Friendlier Friends: Navigating School Social Dynamics Ana Homayoun, author, educator & Phyllis Fagell, clinical counselor, author of Middle School Matters
Thursday, November 18, 2021, 1:00pm – 2:00pm PT, Online Event (Webinar) Join Ana Homayoun, author, educator, and founder of Green Ivy Educational Consulting, and Phyllis Fagell, licensed clinical counselor and author of Middle School Matters, for a conversation about “friends, frenemies, and friendlier friends” in the time of Covid. Register here.
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PAGE | 04
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PARENT EDUCATION Grief and Loss in Children and Teens: What It Looks Like and How to Help Jaymie Byron, MFT, Director of Community Outreach & Education, Kara
Tuesday, November 30, 2021,
5:30pm – 6:30pm PT, Online Event (Webinar) Jaymie Byron, MFT, Director of Community Outreach Education, Kara, will share what grief and mourning can look like for children of all ages. Kids react differently to loss, based on where they are developmentally. Jaymie will also provide practical ways to support a child through the grief process. Register here.
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence Anna Lembke, MD, Psychiatrist, Stanford School of Medicine, New York Times Bestselling author
Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 12:00pm – 1:00pm PT,
Online Event (Webinar) In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and bestselling author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain…and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. Register here.
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PAGE | 05
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
EDUCACIÓN PARA PADRES
CAZADORES DE MITOS: La verdad sobre el sistema de educación superior pública de California Cuca Acosta (UC); Bernie Day (CCC); April Grommo, EdD (CSU); Heather Lattimer, EdD (CSU)
Martes, 9 de noviembre de 2021, 5:30pm - 6:30pm PT, Evento en vivo (seminario web) En este seminario, representantes de la Universidad de California, la Universidad Estatal dey la California comunidad de California Los universitarios sistemas contrarrestarán algunos de los mitos más comunes sobre cada sistema y las relaciones de los sistemas entre sí. Enlace de zoom aquí.
Foro de padres #15 (Español) Las Drogas, mi Hijos, y Yo Edwin Fernandez, LCSW, One Life Counseling Center
Miércoles, 17 de noviembre de 2021, 5:30pm - 6:30pm, Evento en vivo (seminario web) Únase a nosotros durante esta conversación en la que no solo escuchará algunas de las respuestas a estas preguntas, sino que también aprenderá formas proactivas en las que los padres podemos ayudar a nuestros hijos a decir no a las drogas. Enlace de zoom aquí.
Amigos, amigos enemigos y amigos más amigables: navegando por la dinámica social de la escuela Ana Homayoun, autora, educadora y Phyllis Fagell, consejera clínica, autora de Middle School Matters
Jueves, 18 de noviembre de 2021, 1:00pm - 2:00pm PT, Evento en línea (seminario web) Únase a Ana Homayoun, autora, educadora y fundadora de Green Ivy Educational Consulting, ya Phyllis Fagell, consejera clínica licenciada y autora de Middle School Matters, para una conversación sobre “amigos, enemigos y amigos más amigables” en la época de Covid. Enlace de zoom aquí. FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PAGE | 06
INICIATIVA ESCUELAS SALUDABLES (IES) BOLETÍN DE OTOÑO DE 2021
MENSAJE DEL DISTRITO DE SALUD DE SEQUOIA Querida comunidad de Iniciativa Escuelas Saludables (IES), La vacuna de Pfizer contra el Covid-19 a sido autorizada para uso en niños de 5 a 11 años. Este es un paso esencial en la lucha contra esta pandemia. La vacuna no solo ayudará a evitar que los niños contraen Covid-19, sino que también ayudará a prevenir o reducir la propagación del virus, lo que a su vez protege a toda nuestra comunidad. Esté atento a los anuncios sobre la vacunación de su hijo de San Mateo County Health, la Oficina de Educación del Condado de San Mateo y su proveedor de atención médica. Este número del boletín de IES incluye actualizaciones de su distrito escolar sobre apoyos y programas para ayudar durante la reapertura de las escuelas. Gracias a los padres, maestros y personal que participan en la tarea diaria de garantizar que los estudiantes que pisan nuestros campus estén sanos y listos para aprender. Quiero agradecer especialmente a nuestras dedicadas enfermeras escolares, que trabajan incansablemente para mantener a todos los niños seguros en nuestros ocho distritos escolares asociados a la Iniciativa de Escuelas Saludables. Lo alentamos a que aprenda más sobre nuestra Iniciativa de Escuelas Saludables visitando: seqhd.org/hsi.
Karen E. Li, MD Director of School Health Healthy Schools Initiative
PRESENTACIONES
DISTRITOS ESCOLARES
Conferencia de ACHD
Carpeta Verde para Padres