Kid's Kitchen March Update

York Region Alliance of African Canadian Communities (YRAACC) - Sankofa Mentoring Program

http://www.yorkregionaacc.ca/

Student Mental Health and Addictions Newsletter - February 2020

Student Mental Health and Addictions Newsletter February 2020

YRDSB Mental Health services are provided by YRDSB psychology and social work personnel

Common Reactions to Trauma

At some point in our lives, we are all likely to experience or be affected by some form of trauma

– whether it be experiencing a life event of our own or witnessing another person experience trauma. Regardless of the cause, the trauma creates a lasting impression on our brain.

Psychology Today has explained 21 common reactions to trauma including anger, avoidance and sadness. And although everyone is different and will experience trauma differently based on various personal and societal factors, what is common is that there is support. There are supports and resources available (school-based mental health professionals such as Psychological Services and School Social Workers) at the school for students who need to speak with someone. If you have concerns about your child’s well-being, please contact your school Principal.

At YRDSB, we have Tips for Supporting Children and Youth after a Concerning Event at School. These tips can help guide families when dealing with and helping to support their children during a difficult and traumatic experience.

Board staff can also reinforce students’ sense of safety and well-being by:

Creating a calm, predictable and welcoming classroom and school environment. Bolstering well-being and healthy coping strategy activities.

Following the student’s lead in discussing their concerns, (if students aren’t discussing their concerns, keep focused on your regular school activities).

Listening for and responding to students who may be struggling and accessing appropriate mental health resources for students and families as needed.

For more information, please see the YRDSB Mental Health webpage.

Release of the YRDSB Student Suicide Intervention Protocol

York Region District School Board is committed to student well-being and mental health. YRDSB has developed a Student Suicide Intervention Protocol to help keep students safe in the event of suicidal thoughts or actions. The Student Suicide Intervention Protocol will be implemented starting Fall 2019. Youth suicide is a complex, emotionally-charged and sadly a real problem in Canada. It is the second leading cause of death amongst young people. It’s important to recognize that those who struggle with mental health have personal strength and resilience and the potential to overcome difficulties to ultimately thrive.

The YRDSB Student Suicide Intervention Protocol is designed to address the six steps involved when responding to current and present thoughts of suicide, as well as actions related to suicide. In addition, the Protocol is governed by a set of guiding principles which are underpinned by a culturally responsive and reflective practice.

Suicide is not culturally neutral. Our cultural and ethnic backgrounds will inform how each of us understands suicide. To see all the guiding principles, refer to the print version of the protocol on the on the board website YRDSB-Student Suicide Intervention Protocol. If you have any questions about the Student Suicide Intervention Protocol, please contact your school principal.

Patricia Marra-Stapleton, M.Sc., C. Psych. Assoc.

Mental Health Lead

patricia.marra-stapleton@yrdsb.ca

Gisella Ragno, MSW, RSW

Assistant Coordinator of Mental Health gisella.ragno@yrdsb.ca

Message From Our Trustee

Message from Our Trustee

As we enter another month of winter, this is a good time to be thinking about our health, well-being and the importance of self-care. We know that, like all of us, our students can focus better when they feel better. Our schools play an important role in health and mental health promotion and education, and fostering well-being and mental health is one of our priorities as a school board.

There is a lot of work taking place in our schools and board to create healthy schools and promote mental health and well-being, including: 

·        Providing training and resources for educators on strategies to support mentally healthy classrooms for all students, including holding a mental health conference. 

·        Hiring identity specific mental health workers and developing partnerships with community partners to serve the diverse needs of our students. 

·        Developing a Student Suicide Intervention Protocol to help keep students safe in the event of suicidal thoughts or actions.

·        Educating students about the risks of substance use and misuse, including vaping and cannabis. 

·        Providing strategies and supports for students in preparing for exams and managing stress​.  

This commitment is also reflected in Board policy like the Healthy Schools and Workplaces policy and procedures. Setting policy, which governs the operation of the Board, is one of the roles of trustees, and we greatly value the input provided by students, staff members, family and community members. I encourage you to look at the policies under review and share your feedback.

We have a lot to look forward to in 2020. At the Board meeting in December, trustees unanimously approved the addition of new permanent Indigenous Trustee and Indigenous Student Trustee positions. We are committed to Indigenous Education in our Board and it is important that these voices are represented at the table. We hope to fill the positions as soon as possible and will share more information as it becomes available. 

A message from the Chair of the Board of Trustees is also available on the Board website at www.yrdsb.ca. 

Juanita Nathan

Trustee, Markham, Wards 7 and 8   

Parents for Children's Mental Health - Upcoming Workshops

Kid's Kitchen - February Specials

YRDSB Tamil Parent Network Workshops

Youth Mental Health Presentation @ MDHS

Upcoming YRDSB Parent Workshops

Adult Non-Credit Programs

Kid's Kitchen January Update

Parents for Children's Mental Health

Parent Engagement Network Workshops

Message from Our Trustee

One of our top priorities as a school board is creating an environment that enables our students to focus on learning and be successful. That means creating environments where students are safe and feel safe, where all of our students know that they are welcome and supported, and where they see their identities reflected, valued and celebrated. 

Championing Equity and Inclusivity

Championing Equity and Inclusivity is one of the priorities outlined in the Board of Trustees’ Multi-Year Strategic Plan. We are fortunate to live in one of the most diverse regions of Canada, and welcome students, staff and families with a broad range of identities and experiences. There has been much work underway at the Board in the past few months to ensure we are providing all of our students with a safe, equitable and inclusive learning environment, including: 

 Providing Board-wide training for over 12,000 school staff on anti-Black racism.

• Bringing together over 250 students and staff at our annual SpeakOut conference for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
• Acknowledging Treaties Recognition Week, and learning about the importance of treaties and treaty relationships in Canada from First Nations community members.  
• Hosting a labour market information night for parents to learn about current and future career opportunities and employment trends.
• Bringing together hundreds of members of the education community for three days of learning focused on Indigenous Education and Equity at our world-renowned Quest conference. 

This is in addition to the ongoing work taking place in our schools. It is also important that our families know and feel that they are a valued, respected and important part of our school community. We recently held regional school council forums that brought together school council members from across the region to learn and share together on important topics such as engaging families, vaping and more. It was wonderful to see so many family members there. 

The Board of Trustees was also pleased to receive and commit to taking action on the recommendations in response to the Anti-Black Racism, Antisemitism, Classism and Islamophobia community consultations.  

Winter Months

With the winter weather already upon us, I also want to remind families that school transportation may be cancelled on extreme cold or inclement weather days, and there may be rare occasions when emergency weather conditions result in school closures.  To ensure families are aware, last month, we tested a new system to send text messages to families in emergency situations only. Information about transportation cancellations and school closures will also be available on Board and school websites, Board social media channels and local media. 

Many of our students and families will be celebrating days of significance and holidays in the coming weeks and months, and I wish you all the very best for the season. I hope everyone has a safe and happy winter break and we look forward to welcoming students back in January. 

Juanita Nathan

Trustee, Markham, Wards 7 and 8  

Kid's Kitchen December 2019 Update

BFCN 2019 Scholarship Application Worshop

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bfcn-scholarship-application-workshop-yrdsb-east-tickets-81254068105​

Kid's Kitchen Inclement Weather Policy

Kid's Kitchen November Update

York Region Labour Market Information Night

Kid's Kitchen October 2019 Update