WeTHRIVE! schools got creative in finding ways to promote mental health and social connectedness over the past school year. Here’s a look at some of them!
Lockland Local Schools
Lockland is unique in that the district has a School Wellness Department. Jenny Bole, the school psychologist who oversees wellness, says Lockland is the only district she is aware of that has an established department with such a broad focus on overall student success. The school wellness department also includes school counselors, Catalyst Counselors, Talbert House mental health professionals, a school nurse, a high school counselor, and Mr. Diggle, the district’s facility dog.
The Wellness Department organized two main events during the 2023-24 school year. The Student Success Fair in the fall introduced students in grades 7-12 to career and college information. Jenny says they also wanted to give students a broader look at what success looks like, so the fair included organizations related to wellness, like Catalyst Counseling and Talbert House. More than 243 students and family members attended. The event included a Produce Pop Up that provided free fresh food from the Freestore Foodbank.
The Spring into Wellness event brought together vendors related to emotional, physical, and mental health. Attendees could get vision, hearing, blood pressure, and mental health screenings, as well as learn about topics like anti-vaping. Vendors included 1N5, Beech Acres Parenting Center, The Healthcare Connection, and Hamilton County Public Health. They also had another Produce Pop Up with free fresh food from the Freestore Foodbank.
Mt. Healthy City Schools
For the 2023-24 school year, the Mt. Healthy School Wellness Committee focused on staff wellness and appreciation. Madison Kist is the district’s registered dietitian who oversees the committee. She spoke about the district’s wellness activities at the June WeTHRIVE! Learning Collaborative.
Madison reported that Mt. Healthy’s staff members expressed interest in mental health topics, so the Wellness Committee brought in 1N5 to conduct a four-week mindfulness series for teachers and staff members.
The committee also provided short yoga classes in each school building during staff appreciation week.
Another highlight of the year was the Sidewalk Shuffle, a new 5K event created by the Wellness Committee to boost morale and encourage exercise. Staff members were invited to participate along with one guest each. A total of 48 people took part and received prizes, which were donated by local businesses.
Northwest Local Schools
Northwest Schools used grant funding to expand Mission2Move’s Calm Caterpillar program to all preschool classes – impacting a total of 235 students and their families.
With Calm Caterpillar’s Calm Corner Kits, each preschool classroom has a Calm Corner and families get a smaller Calm Corner Kit to use at home. In the Calm Corner, students learn to use breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques to self-regulate their emotions.
School Nurse Keva Brice reports that it’s been exciting to watch the students, families, and staff engage with the Calm Caterpillar program. The preschool was even featured in a Local 12 news story in late February.
In Northwest’s Transitions Academy, students worked with HEAT (Holistically Empowering All Teens) on restorative work aimed at helping to build students up and repair the lines of communication severed by the impact of isolation during the pandemic.
Learn more about the WeTHRIVE! School Initiative here. Be sure to Sign Up for Our Stories by entering your email address below!