Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders and Director of Student Services Cari Christian-Coates wish to invite residents to attend a mental health webinar featuring a panel of student emotional health experts next week.
ConVal Regional School District students and their families are invited to attend an online viewing of “LIKE” on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. The film explores the impact of social media on our lives, the effects of technology on the brain, and teaches viewers how to self-regulate. This film is rated for those age 10 and older.
Those who wish to attend must register before the event here.
After the film, a panel will discuss its contents and how students can apply the lessons learned in their own lives. The panelists are:
- Laura Gourlay, a school counselor at Great Brook School, who provides students in grades 5-8 with personal, social and educational counseling, both individually and in groups. Gourlay, who has been a school counselor at Great Brook School for 10 years, consults and collaborates with parents, teachers, and school administrators to develop and implement strategies to help students succeed.
- Stephanie Smart, a school counselor at South Meadow School, who provides social-emotional support to all middle school students, while focusing on educational, career, and transitional goals.
A third panelist will be announced in the future.
Parents and guardians will be able to ask questions during the panel discussion.
The film, panel discussions and Q&A will be recorded and available for viewing for families who are not able to attend.
“Social media can place great pressure on our students and their mental health,” Coates said. “We hope parents and guardians will learn about resources and tips to help manage their children’s well-being.”
“This series supports one of the district’s top goals: Making sure our students are physically and emotionally healthy,” Superintendent Rizzo Saunders said. “We are proud to host this series to assist the ConVal community and hope you will join us later this month for this important discussion.”
“LIKE” is the second of three films that will be shown during the 2020-21 school year. The first film, “The Upstanders” was shown in October for middle and high school students, and discussed resilience, attention, and the power of connection to end bullying and the brain science behind cyber-bullying, bullying among friends, families and co-workers. The third film, “Angst,” will be shown in April to raise awareness about anxiety and is rated for those age 10 and older.
For more information about the event please contact Cari Christian-Coates at ccoates@conval.edu or call 603-924-7503, ext. 2048.
