With the school year now in full swing, teachers and faculty are working to support their students through the school year and mental health is one of the main concerns on many teachers’ minds.
Back in March and April of this year, The UP community lost the lives of three students to mental health struggles. This fall, Marquette area schools are reinforcing their students’ mental health resources.
NICE Community Schools Superintendent, Brian DeAugustine says that mental health has been a main concern this back-to-school season.
“first and foremost above all, we want to make connections with our kids and make sure that life is going ok for them”
Marquette Senior High School, Aspen Ridge in Ishpeming, and Northern Michigan University all interfaced with these tragedies and are working to create more support for their students.
I also spoke with Lieutenant Mark Giannunzio about how state police respond to situations, threats, or tips about students who may be suffering a mental health crisis. He noted that the Michigan State Police take every report seriously, and do all they can to make sure everyone involved in these situations is safe and secure.
“You know we have young children that are going through all kinds of growing pains and all kinds of things, and there’s there’s a mental health issues that come up with that so a lot of times we are called to these type of situations but quickly afterwards once it’s secure we’re not trained as mental health professionals so we have to call those people and to help deal with that certain specific situation”
Social workers, additional counselors, and child and adolescent healthcare specialists. Local schools are putting in efforts to make sure their students have a safe environment to talk about their mental health.
“Academics will come if people feel safe and valued and appreciated” – Blythe Raikko is the Social Studies Department head at Marquette Senior High School, She and her fellow teachers are committed to creating a safe and comfortable environment for their students to learn in.
The mental health of students is always a priority, and this year schools are extra focused on maintaining a safe and welcoming environment to make school a comfortable place for students
Marquette High School and NICE Community Schools have added additional counselors to their staff for students to utilize. The NMU counseling and consultation services website lists the many resources for nmu students and anyone to use.
