By James R. Lowell Healthy Lion reporters | As a student, you will spend 1,000 hours a year in your school building. Schools can build a positive climate, which plays an important role in students’ mental health.
Everyone in the building can help—students, teachers, and staff, according to the National School Climate Center.
Reporters from the Lowell Healthy Lion in room S-29, interviewed Dr. Chorneiko (Dr. C), who is the Student Based Teacher Leader (SBTL) at Lowell Elementary. She answered questions focusing on the physical and mental health of students and staff.
“At Lowell, sanitizer is provided in every class- room and lunchroom. This helps students and staff members stay healthy by killing the germs that you may be carrying,” Dr. C said. In the lunchroom, students can choose healthy fruits and vegetables as an option.
Students also practice safety drills and the school climate staff members watch students during recess. “The drills and climate staff help us stay safe in emergencies that may happen,” Dr. C said. She also said it is important to follow directions during drills so no one gets hurt.
Along with physical safety, the school sets up supports that will help students stay emotionally healthy. The school sends out surveys four times a year to measure how students feel. These surveys are completed on paper or on the computer. School officials use this information to help figure out how the students are feeling emotionally. With this information, they set up plans on how to support students more.
One system in place is the “check in and check out” for some students in the classroom. A teacher or staff member is assigned a student. At the beginning of the day, the adult checks to see how a kid is starting the day. At the end of the day, the adult will “check out” with the student. If the student is having a hard time during the day, the student can go to the adult for support.
Dr. C wants to remind students that they “need to have a positive attitude and are willing to work with each other. I hope all the students at Lowell can be kinder to each other and make more friends.”
Illustration by Hannah, seventh grade, MaST, 2023–24.
