Social and mental health for students

The classroom, playground, and school activities are where students are able to socialize with friends, but for this year it will be different.

WE'RE HELPING YOUGET YOUR KIDSSAFELY BACK TOSCHOOL THISMORNING.AND AS MORE ANDMORE SCHOOLS INWESTERN NEW YORKOPT FOR A REMOTESTART TO THESCHOOL YEAR --WE'RE TAKING ACLOSER LOOK AT THEEFFECTS LEARNINGFROM HOME MAY HAVEON YOUR CHILD'SMENTAL HEALTH.IN FACT -- A GALLUPPOLL --OUT LATE LASTMONTH--SHOWS ABOUT 30PERCENT OF PARENTSNATIONWIDE SAYTHEIR KIDS ARESTRUGGLING WITHTHEIR EMOTIONAL ORMENTAL HEALTHBECAUSE OF SOCIALDISTANCING ANDREMOTE LEARNING.SO ALL NEW FOR YOU--REBECCATHORNBURG SHOWSUS HOW ONE GROUPIN BUFFALO IS HOPINGTO HELP.THE CLASSROOPLAYGROUND,AND SCHOOLACTIVITIES AREWHERE STUDENTSARE ABLE TOSOCIALIZE WITHFRIENDS.SINCE BUFFALOPUBLIC SCHOOLS WILLSTART REMOTE THESTUDENT SUPPORTSERVICES TEAM HASBEEN WORKING ON APLAN TO KEEP KIDSSOCIALLY ANDMENTALLY WELL.SOT"IT'S CRITICALLYIMPORTANT THAT OURCHILDREN ARE WELLROUNDED SOCIALLY,EMOTIONALLY,MENTALLY,NUTRITIONALLY, ALLOF THOSE THINGSFACTOR INTO HOWTHEY WILL BESUCCESSFUL."DR. TONJA WILLIAMS ISTHE ASSOCIATESUPERINTENDENT OFSTUDENT SUPPORTSERVICES.SHE SAYS EACHSCHOOL ISCONNECTED WITH ALOCAL MENTALHEALTHORGANIZATION.SOT"FOR THE FIRST TWOWEEKS OF SCHOOLWE ARE SPENDING ANINORDINATE AMOUNTOF TIME WORKINGCAREFULLY TO BUILDCOMMUNITY WITHSTUDENTS EVEN THOIT IS REMOTE, WE AREBUILDING A TIGHT KNITRELATIONSHIPREMOTELY."DR. WILLIAMS SAYS IFSTUDENTS NEEDMORE HELP, THEREWILL BE SMALL GROUPCOUNSELINGAVAILABLE ANDINDIVIDUALIZEDMENTAL HEALTHCOUNSELING.SHE HOPES TO STARTTHE SCHOOL YEAR BYGIVING KIDS SOMECLOSER FROM LASTYEAR.SOT"WE WANT TO STARTTHE YEAR BY GIVINGTHEM SOME SPACE TOCLOSE OUT SOME OFTHE EXPERIENCESFROM LAST YEAR."DR. WILLIAMS SAYS IFPARENTS ARECONCERNED WITHTHEIR STUDENT'SMENTAL WELL BEING,THEY SHOULD TALKWITH THE TEACHER.EACH SCHOOL HASSOCIAL WORKERS ANDCOUNSELORSAVAILABLE.SOT"IT KINDA REMINDS MEOF A PHENIX, INSOMETIMES WHENTIMES SEEMS LIKETHEY ARE THEBLEAKEST AND THEMOST CHALLENGING,IT TIMES LIKE THESETHAT REALLY BRINGSOUT THE RESILLIENCYAND THE BEST, WEHAVE HEARD FROMCOMMUNITYPARTNERS ANDVOLUNTEE