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UCDSB Honours World Mental Health Day with Collaborative Student Resources
UCDSB Honours World Mental Health Day with Collaborative Student Resources
Posted on 10/08/2021

October 8, 2021  – From inspiring keychains to cartoon dragons, students from across the Upper Canada District School Board have received resources to ignite conversations about mental health.

Every Grade 9 and 12 student in the UCDSB will receive a custom-made keychain created by students from the University of Ottawa. Attached to the keychain are PASS (Panic, Anxiety, Stress Support) cards, each one identifying a specific problem and offering a solution. For instance, if feeling ineffective, cross just one thing off your to-do list so you feel you’re making progress.

Students at Perth & District Collegiate Institute were handed the keychains today, Friday, Oct. 8, just in time for World Mental Health Day, which is October 10. The keychains will be delivered to the rest of the UCDSB secondary schools and students in the coming days.

“Secondary students are juggling so much in life, especially as they attend school during a pandemic,” says Superintendent of Student Health and Wellness Jennifer Perry. “This initiative is one way we’re launching discussions and providing continued supports for our students and their well-being – not just for one day, but all year long.”

PDCI

UCDSB Pass Cards

To build conversations for elementary school students, every Grade 4 student across the UCDSB will receive a free copy of the book Iris the Dragon – Project: Kids, Let’s Be Superheroes.

Written by Perth resident Gayle Grass, the popular Iris the Dragon book series includes this new book release, which is focused on the pandemic. The Bell Let’s Talk Grant Program sponsored Grass to give multiple copies to children across Eastern Ontario - including students at the Queen Elizabeth School in Perth.

Queen E Students

“Not only is a local resident creating some important resources for children and their families, it’s an amazing opportunity to collaborate and get these books into the hands of our Grade 4 students so they can gain awareness about mental health in a way that speaks to them,” says UCDSB Chair John McAllister.

The UCDSB remains committed to ensuring staff also feel supported when it comes to leading mental health conversations and programming for students.

Each school has a dedicated Mental Health Champion, which is a staff member at the school who helps direct students to the best resources and supports for their mental health and well-being. Throughout the year, professional development opportunities will be created for these staff members to enhance their own learning and share it with colleagues. To learn more about the UCDSB’s commitment to students and staff, please read the UCDSB Mental Health Strategy.

Photos: 

Grade 9 and 12 students at Perth & District Collegiate Institute received keychain PASS cards on Friday as part of a mental health initiative that will see all Grade 9 and 12 students across the Upper Canada District School Board receive these keychain cards. Pictured here are (from left) Superintendent of Schools Bill Loshaw, Principal Dean Fournier, student Lily Johnson, Superintendent of Student Health and Wellness Jennifer Perry, student Sophie Ball, Vice-Principal Val Horsfall, Guidance Counsellor Sharon Bourque and School Mental Health Champion Rhonda Wright. Missing from the photo is School Mental Health Champion Krisondra McNevin.

Grade 4 students from the Queen Elizabeth School in Perth received a free copy of the latest Iris the Dragon book that hits on mental health and well-being. Pictured with the students are (from left) School Mental Health Champion Marc Baillon, Principal Dianne Stroud, Superintendent of Student Health and Wellness Jennifer Perry and Superintendent of Schools Bill Loshaw. Every Grade 4 student in the Upper Canada District School Board will receive a free copy of this book.

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For media inquiries, contact:

April Scott-Clarke
Manager of Communications, UCDSB
[email protected]

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