Notes from the Counseling Department

By now school is in full swing academically and children who were doing well may be starting to struggle.  Elementary to middle school is an enormous transition (as are 6th to 7th and 7th to 8th grades) and many kids have a "honeymoon" period in the beginning.  If you are noticing that your student is struggling, what can you do? The first step is to ask your child.  Most middle schoolers aren't likely to self-report feeling academically overwhelmed but many will feel relief if you ask.  Asking your child, "Now that we're a few months into the new school year, how's it going?"  can be an easy way to start. Asking what things they like and are enjoying is a good opening to finding out what isn't going as well.  Once you have a sense of what they may be struggling with you can work with them to make a plan. Sometimes the plan is to be more organized at home with homework and studying.  It takes until almost 30 years of age for our brain to finish d...

Today, October 10, 2019 is World Mental Health Awareness Day.   The theme this year is suicide prevention.   In the Newton Public Schools, we work hard to make sure that students know who to go to if they are thinking about suicide.  We emphasize the message that we all need to look out for each other, so if a student is worried about another student, they are encouraged to talk with a counselor about their concern.  At Bigelow, we have had numerous students come to the counselors about others and in every situation, even if the student in question was upset that a friend had told their "secret", it has led to each student getting the help and support they need.  Part of the way we reinforce this message is by implementing the Signs of Suicide program each year in the 7th grade.  Please click here to read the blog post written last year about the SOS program at Bigelow. As we move deeper into the fall, school and all the surrounding activities a...

Welcome back to all our returning students and families and welcome to all of our new students and families!  We're so glad you're here and we are ready for another exciting, full, interesting year.  There's an old saying- some attribute it to a Chinese curse- "May your life be interesting."  It's sort of a double-edged blessing/curse, isn't it?  Because interesting doesn't necessarily mean positive or good- it could just as easily be negative and bad.  I think of the middle school years in that context- a double-edged blessing/curse.  Sixth grade through eighth grade is such a full time.  Academically, students are learning critical thinking and executive function skills across all content areas.  Socially, they are learning how to interact, get along and resolve conflict with their peers and the adults in their lives.  Physically, they are growing taller, maturing, and those hormones are often raging.  Emotionally, they are feeling...

I hope you are all having a relaxing, restful, rejuvenating summer vacation!  While I, too, am on vacation, it doesn't mean I stop reading or thinking about mental health (I highly recommend the book, "Maybe You Should Talk To Someone" by Lori Gottlieb for an interesting not-too-heavy summer read).  In my reading of various blogs, articles, and books,  I came across this useful infographic (posted by The Ana Grace Project) and wanted to share with you (click on it to enlarge).   Enjoy your summer! --Dr. J

All of a sudden, it's June and another school year is done!  Here at Bigelow, we're busy wrapping up the year- 8th graders have returned from the New York trip and are practicing for graduation, 7th graders have gone on their end of the year field trip and are looking towards next year, 6th graders are feeling accomplished and ready for 7th grade (and the rafting trip!).  Whatever our plans for the summer, we are all ready for a change. With transition, however, comes emotion.  Even if your child says they hate school and can't wait for it be over, there is a part of them (perhaps quite small) that will miss the routine and structure of school and the school year.  Be gentle with them (and with yourselves!) at this time.  We can all be  slightly more sensitive when we're moving from one phase to the next.  For more on how to do this, see last June's post:  Changes.... A few interesting ideas and readings to leave you with as we close out the y...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States and other areas of the world.  Many different organizations have themes and information for the month.  This month's blog is a list of places to explore to learn more about mental health and wellness as well as mental illness.  The more we know and understand about mental illness and how common it is, the more we can break down the stigma and misunderstandings about it. The National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI) is using the slogan, "Why Care?" with the tagline:  "Because 1 in 5 people will be affected by mental illness in their lifetime.  Take the time to show that you care about mental health." Mental Health America (MHA) is continuing the theme from last year of #4mind4body and have a number of resources including toolkits and graphics, which can be found here . Teenmentalhealth.org has a number of excellent resources for parents and teens including a toolbox , ed...

A short post this month, and a break from the usual mental health topics. As I've written previously, connection with others is a huge factor in resilience and positive health.  No one is healthy in isolation and we are all wired to connect with others.  One of the ways in which we often connect is over food.  Bigelow has recently launched the Bigelow International Food Network as a way to help build and connect the Bigelow community. The Bigelow International Food Network is an on-line repository of family recipes, submitted by students, families, and staff at Bigelow.  Each recipe has a story behind it and as we collect more, we will be able to see and experience the diverse culture and rich family histories that make up our school community.  Take a look, try the recipes and submit your own!   Bigelow International Food Network Spring is on the way and May is Mental Health Awareness month so stay tuned for more information on breaking the stigma,...