Dear Parents/Guardians,

The mental health of our students is an important topic for us as a school community. Today, we see a noticeable increase in the number of students with anxiety and depression in schools. Just this year, New York State has identified Mental Health Education as a priority and a new mandate for schools. As we move forward to create a consistent K-12 approach to our students’ mental health, our goal is to educate our students about mental health so they will be able to effectively recognize signs and symptoms in themselves and others and will know where to turn for help. In our schools, we address mental health through various programs, such as mindfulness, yoga, health classes, co-curricular programs, among others. We want to create learning environments that decrease negative stigmas, and encourage students to communicate and to develop healthy, resilient behaviors.

Sincerely,
Kusum Sinha, Ed.D
Superintendent of Schools

Below are links to recent articles that focus on anxiety, social pressures, and achievement pressures that you might find helpful:

• NYSSEL Benchmarks

• Garden City Resources

• NY Project HOPE

• Article:The Importance of Mental Health Awareness in Schools

• Article: Social and Emotional Learning: Strategies for Parents

• Website: NAMI

• Website: NYS Office of Mental Health

• Website: Fundamentals of SEL

• MIneola Behavioral Health Center Information Handout

• Parent Handbook on Childhood and Teen Depression

• Managing Your Anxiety (Northwell Health)

• Stress Management Guided Meditation (Northwell Health)