skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Protecting Kids' Mental Health Top Priority as VA Schools Reopen

play audio
Play

Friday, August 20, 2021   

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- With many Virginia schools starting up next week, experts say parents and teachers need to take extra steps to protect children's mental health, which may have suffered during pandemic isolation.

Eric Sparks, deputy executive director of the American School Counselor Association, said for a smooth transition into the new school year, counselors and teachers should prioritize addressing mental and behavioral health needs.

His group has a new guide to help support teachers and students, and he advised school counselors to get students used to learning in person again.

"They'll go into classrooms and talk to students as a whole about making this transition about being with groups of students, about making connections with other students in these larger group settings," Sparks explained. "But then, they'll also look at follow-up with students, who might demonstrate some needs that they're having difficulty."

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a Public Health Emergency Order last week, requiring universal mask-wearing inside all K-12 public schools in the state.

Sparks suggested even this precaution might not reduce stress levels for some kids.

The centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported mental-health visits to the emergency room by children ages 12 to 17 increased by 31% during the pandemic.

To help alleviate the trend, Sparks recommended teachers and administrators create environments that are welcoming to students, some of whom have to relearn social skills.

"A lot of the advice in terms of helping students to socialize is to take things at your own speed; to not rush into things if you don't feel comfortable," Sparks stated. "There may be physical barriers, but really, looking for ways to help those students connect with other students, even though there may be some things in place that aren't typically there."

The American Heart Association also has tips for supporting students' emotional well-being as they return to in-person learning. The group emphasized stress and trauma can lead to unhealthy behavior and even increased risk for heart disease.

Disclosure: American Heart Association Mid Atlantic Affiliate contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues, Hunger/Food/Nutrition, Poverty Issues, and Smoking Prevention. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021