Family Life

from The Shores Magazine

by towar

Mental Health Matters

MATTERS WEEK mental health

Photos courtesy of Lake Shore Schools

Celebrating Positivity and Resilience in Lake Shore Schools

BY ANNA SWARTZ

The mental health needs of students, families and the community are signi icant – now more than ever. That’s the message that Lake Shore Schools received from the district’s social workers at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. As a result, Mental Health Matters Week (MHMW) was born. The second annual MHMW, a week-long campaign to spread awareness about the importance of mental health and celebrate resilience, was held January 31 through February 4 at all Lake Shore Schools.

Throughout the week staff utilized a districtwide initiative, the Positivity Project (P2), to help students focus on the character strengths of mental health and wellness. According to Kayla Glombowski, social worker at Kennedy Middle School, P2 is a newer program that focuses on one of 24 character strengths per week. P2 is taught to all K-12 students. At the middle school level, daily advisory periods serve as a time to set aside academics and focus on these important traits and build relationships between students and staff. “It helps kids open up and connect with other kids who maybe they wouldn’t normally bond with,” Glombowski says.

For MHMW, each Lake Shore school participated in an activity that displayed not just P2 character strength, but a #maddymatters random act of kindness. Maddy Matters is a Pay It Forward movement to honor Madisyn Renee Baldwin, one of the Oxford High School victims. For example, Masonic Heights Elementary students randomly paid for 32 the shores

coffees and treats at Eos Café & Coffee House in St. Clair Shores. This taught the character strength of kindness. On February 4, Violet Elementary students partnered with Harmon Elementary of Lakeview Schools to pen pal with their “rival.” This exercise encouraged the character strength of teamwork.

Other activities throughout MHMW included Lake Shore and North Lake High School students writing the answer to the questions: “Who is your person?” and “Why?” on a paper heart cut-out. The activity focused on the character strengths of love and gratitude, which increase feelings of happiness and reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Later in the week, Rodgers Elementary students looked at themselves in the mirror and were asked: “What do you see?” They were asked to share one positive af irmation to recognize their inner beauty.

According Glombowski, while each child’s stressors may vary, all are struggling to cope with tough feelings. “With how things keep changing in the world, it's been dif icult to adapt and take care of one’s mental health,” she said. When other challenges such as inancial worries or family stress are added in, she says, the emotional toll is even greater.

So, what can parents do if they notice that their child is struggling? “Keep communication open and be available to listen so they feel comfortable and supported,” Glombowski says. And, if needed, she adds: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Start with your child’s school counselor or pediatrician.” Glombowski noted the dif iculty many parents face when inding a therapist who sees children, or the long wait lists. “Don’t feel discouraged,” she said. “Be persistent and keep calling. You will ind someone to help.”

Glombowski did help organize parts of MHMW but praised the efforts of Lake Shore Schools Digital Media Manager Tasha Candela as the main organizer. “Tasha is fabulous, she did so much of the planning.”

MHMW was also made possible by its sponsors — Michigan Insurance and Financial Services for donating $500, Eos Café & Coffee House for donating hot chocolate and $100 bonus cash and ACE Hardware for providing hand sanitizer.