Trinity High School STUDENT SERVICES Where every student matters and every moment counts Spring 2020

Happy Spring! Trinity's Student Services Department It is hard to believe that we are in our fourth and final block of the 2019-2020 school year! This is certainly not how any of us imagined ushering in the season, but we are incredibly proud of the resilience and fortitude that we continue to see from our students. The world has gone a little sideways, and the necessity to create new routines is formidable. This is a huge adjustment for everyone and the Student Services Department is here to support you and your families however we can.   It seems serendipitous that for this school year, our department has focused on kindness- not only towards others, but also to ourselves. Earlier this year we encouraged our students to engage in kindness whether they were in need of it, or were in a space to give it, through our “Take What You Need, Give What You Can,” board outside of our office. We also shared monthly calendars containing acts of kindness, which provided daily reminders to keep kindness at the forefront of their minds.   Now, more than ever, we need to focus on this trait! In the midst of chaos, our bodies tend to produce more cortisol, which can cause anxiety and depression. It is SO important to be extra mindful of being kind to ourselves and focus on staying healthy, both mentally and physically.   Our team will continue to check in with students via email, google chat, Zoom conferences, and through surveys to keep apprised of how they doing. We will also be rolling out some fun activities to encourage a positive mindset during these stressful times. This week, we launched our School Counseling Google Classrooms for students. This will serve as a hub or resources that promote wellness, provide executive functioning tips specific to e-learning, access to test preparation, and additional lessons designed to enhance social and emotional learning.    Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s counselor if you need anything at all. Stay safe, stay healthy, and be kind.   Best,   Rachel Behren, Director of Student Services, and The Trinity Student Services Team

April Prevention Month

The month of April we will recognize Alcohol and Drug Awareness, designed to draw attention to the dangers of alcohol and drug use. We will be inviting students to participate virtually in prevention activities throughout the month. Our activities will link teens to facts about drugs and drug use to counteract the myths about drugs and alcohol that teens get from the internet, social media, TV, movies, music, or from friends. We will be sending students Kahoot! games.  When your student plays the game, they will be entered into a drawing to win an Amazon gift card!   Encourage your student to participate and ask them about what they’ve learned. This is a great opportunity to dialogue with your child about a tough to discuss, but very important topic.  “Substance Use and Your Brain: Do You Know The Facts?”  “E-cigs, Vapes, and Mods: What Do You Know About Vaping?” “Marijuana Myths: Can You Tell Fact from Fiction?” Thank you for supporting our first-ever  virtual  prevention activity!

May Prevention Month

May is the national month for Mental Health Awareness. Activities will be designed to raise awareness about the importance of positive mental health and for overall health and daily functioning. Stay tuned for more information on how your student can participate!

Articles

Supporting Teenagers and Young Adults During the... Having teenagers confined to home during the coronavirus crisis may not be as labor-intensive as being holed up with small children, but it definitely has its challenges. While younger children may be thrilled at the prospect of having parental... Read more childmind.org

Top 10 Self-Care Tips for Teens Self-care is something you can start at any age, so why not start when you're young? We have compiled a list of our top 10 favourite self-care practises for teens (or anyone) to follow! Have you heard the term "self-care" being brought up a lot... Read more www.knixteen.com

A Kindness Practice for Families - Mindful Explore this mindfulness practice that parents and kids can do together-offering good wishes and compassion to others. Empathy is declining in our children. Recently, researchers surveyed 10,000 middle- and high-school students-eighty per cent... Read more www.mindful.org

Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters

Because of coronavirus, teenagers are missing out on major rites of passage. Offering compassion paves their way toward feeling better. Read More newyorktimes.com

MINDFULNESS We hear this term a lot - but what does mindfulness really mean and more importantly why is it important and how can we incorporate this into our lives? Mindfulness is " a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations." Studies show that practicing mindfulness can help us to increase our ability to regulate emotions, decrease stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also help us to focus our attention, as well as to observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment. Who can't use a little mindfulness in their life? http://mindfulnessforteens.com/ https://leftbrainbuddha.com/mindfulness-for-teens/

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College Counseling Corner

How to make college decisions when campuses are closed.

How to pick a college during the Coronavirus

March 17th College Counseling Newsletter (Class of 2020)

March 17th College Counseling Newsletter (Class of 2021)

College Exploration Opportunity!  Trinity students are invited to participate in  Strive Virtual College Exploration Week: Monday, April 20 - Thursday, April 23, 2020 300+ colleges from 44 states and 10 countries 96 sessions over 4 days Day and evening options Panel presentations on a range of topics for juniors and underclassmen Free and open to students nationwide Registration for students and parents is now live:  www.strivescan.com/virtual

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Trinity's School Student Services Department

Rachel Behren Director of Student Services rbehren@trinityhs.org Samanda Johnson School Counselor sjohnson@trinityhs.org Katie Granholm College Counselor kgranholm@trinityhs.org

Maura Clark School Counselor mclark@trinityhs.org Victoria Herling School Counselor vherling@trinityhs.org Beth Dunne School Counselor Intern Scholarship Coordinator/Registrar bdunne@trinityhs.org

Trinity High School Website

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