Edgewood Offers Parents Back-to-School Tips to Improve Student Wellbeing
August 21, 2008
Experts from Edgewood Wellness, an Edgewood mental health program in San Francisco schools, offer the following advice for parents sending their children back to school this Fall.
Six Back-to-School Wellness Tips for Parents and Kids
It doesn’t take an expert to tell you that kids who feel good about themselves get more out of every school day. Director of Edgewood’s School-Based Programs David Mulig offers parents the following tips to help your kids make the most of a new school year:
1. Promote physical fitness. Good nutrition, plenty of exercise and lots of good sleep gives them energy to burn, learn and grow.
2. Encourage curiosity. New discoveries build problem-solving skills, stretch the mind, and spark creativity.
3. Express and acknowledge feelings. Learning how to identify and deal with feelings helps kids feel safe, minimize stress, and work and play well with others.
4. Encourage social involvement. Contributing and participating -- sharing sports, clubs and activities with others, or lending someone a helping hand -- helps kids feel like they belong.
5. Celebrate skills and successes. Good self-esteem grows when kids are recognized not only for their achievements but also for their unique skills and abilities.
6. Share your spiritual beliefs and values. Knowing they are a part of a bigger picture gives kids a special reason to appreciate and respect not only the world around them but themselves as well.
About the Program
Edgewood Wellness, The Grace Magill Project, works with schools to improve the lives of students in the program’s “Six Dimensions of Wellness”: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, vocational, and spiritual.
The program supports schools in creating an environment that supports a holistic approach to wellness including: emotional, social, physical, intellectual, occupational, and spiritual well-being. It also works to de-stigmatize mental health issues among teenagers and to create resources for teens in need.
Our Approach to Teen Wellness The Grace Magill Project collaborates with schools to help:
- assess strengths and gaps in addressing adolescent well-being
- identify and bridge gaps in services which address adolescent well-being
- partner with other agencies and organizations
- implement programs and resources to meet those areas of need
The Grace Magill Project's program model is based on extensive research. A working group of experts reviewed the latest data on suicide, wellness, resource availability, assessment tools, research based prevention programs, risk screening instruments and a variety of wellness-building/de-stigmatization programs.
Media Contact
Edgewood mental health experts are available to media outlets to discuss Back-to-School wellness tips for parents or other topics related to children's mental health. Contact communications manager Daniela Ogden at 415.375.7582 for more information.
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