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Mental Health Resources

Summit Families,

As we move through the fall and past the excitement of Homecoming we want to remind our families of resources and opportunities that are available for the support and learning of the mental health wellness of our students.

Next week our students will be asked to complete an online questionnaire that encourages them to reflect on their own mindsets, experiences and approaches with learning.  As a school community we feel social and emotional learning is an important part of the educational experience.  These questions help us to check in with our students to ensure they feel connected to our school and we are meeting their social emotional needs.

The information that is collected in the questionnaire will be shared with your child’s grade level principal, counselor, and teachers to guide the work that we do as a school and district (this will not be used as part of their grade or academic record).  For a complete list of questions, please visit our website, https://www.rsdmo.org/Page/5488.

The survey is voluntary and students can feel free to skip any question or choose not to complete the survey.  If you do not want your child to complete the survey, please notify your grade-level principal by Friday, October 22nd.

To continue to support the well-being of our students, this year we have implemented Flex Time in our schedule again.  Flex Time occurs on B days which is typically Mondays and Wednesdays.  This is a flexible time during the day for students to meet their individual needs.  We hope our students find flex time as an opportunity to get additional academic help and support to relieve some of the daily stresses of managing their courses and other activities in their lives.  How your child is using this time would be a great talking point to check in each week and offer suggestions to help them manage this open time.

As a school we have also committed to continuing to learn about trauma-informed care through Alive and Well Communities.  Over the past two years we have had over two-thirds of our staff members complete a 4-part professional development series to better understand the impacts of toxic stress and trauma in our students’ lives.  We have additional staff receiving this training this year on our district professional development days.  This experience has been very well received by our staff.  Alive and Well will be offering workshops and sessions to Rockwood families throughout the year.  See more information below on a Nov 16th opportunity.

In addition, our counselors will be working with a group of students and local organizations to train students as peer helpers.  Students will be trained to help raise awareness of mental health issues and reduce the stigma revolving around those issues.  Students will also be able to help their peers get connected with a trusted adult to work on next steps and receive necessary help.  

We want to make sure our families have the necessary resources should you, your child, or your child’s friend need assistance.  Below are numbers I would recommend you write down and have handy in your household. 

Our district has also developed a virtual Calm Space, Google site, with a number of helpful resources to help calm the mind and body.  You can find these resources and more on our website here.

Below are additional opportunities from our district and community for parents and students to learn more.

 

Community Partners in Prevention (CPiP):

Student Safe Space - this is an online teen support group for Rockwood high schoolers starts back up next week on Monday, September 20. 

It will be held each Monday from 4-5pm on Zoom. Students can register at linktr.ee/cpip or click here. 

 

Parent Safety Night - Parent Safety Night will be held Tuesday, October 26, from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom. This event will feature information on how teens use social media to purchase drugs (and what parents can do), how to talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol, prescription drug safety, gun safety, and MORE. Registration is required, click here if interested.  

Additional resources from CPiP:

 

Alive and Well Opportunity for Parents and Students:

Ahead of the holiday breaks, which can be difficult for many, Alive and Well is hosting a workshop to learn more about a Trauma Aware approach to understanding and preventing suicide.  This will be held on Nov. 16 at three times: 8-9am, 1-2pm, and 5:30-6:30pm.  Flyer attached below.

Nov.16 Trauma Awareness and Suicide Prevention Rockwood Community Training.pdf 

 

Free Opportunity from CHADS: 

Rockwood has brought on CHADS Coalition to provide All in Conversations the first Tuesday of each month in a virtual format. They are free and presented by Dr Shannon Farris. Dr Farris is full of fantastic and helpful information and guidance in a judgement free discussion. These monthly opportunities are incredibly valuable for all. Again, they are FREE!! These sessions can be joined by anyone, in RSD and outside RSD. Since they are in the zoom format, cameras can be off and screen names changed if someone prefers more privacy. Click here for the flyer.  The next meeting is Nov 2nd.

 

Please know the health and well-being of our students, staff, parents, and community is always our top priority.  We appreciate your support and partnership.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s grade-level principal and counselor with any concerns or questions.