‘We support mental health’: Longview middle school unveils ‘calming room’ to aid students
LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) – Foster Middle School held a ribbon cutting of a new safe space to help students combat their emotional needs.
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“We support their mental health, we support and it’s okay to not be okay,” Dr. Karmen Smith, school counselor, said.
Earlier in the school year, students took a needs assessment and the results showed high ratings of anger, stress and anxiety.
After reading the results, Smith proposed a calming room that was supported by the middle school’s principal.
Smith said the school was a recipient of a $500 PTO grant in support of the room and then around $1,500 of school funds were used to complete the calming room.
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“Most people don’t think that kids have stress because they don’t have anything to worry about, but there are plenty of things. We worry about tests, teachers, homework and personal lives,” Joniya Lincoln, a Foster Middle School student, said.
The room is a stress free environment containing a sound machine and soft light to potentially help students’ mood.
Each student is able to submit a request form for 15 minutes maximum in the room.
“If more time is needed, as I stated before, we will assess that and give them more time and if we have to speak to the teacher as well, we’ll let the teachers know and speak to the parents. We will also include them in what is going on,” Smith said.
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The room can also help address emotions of anger and grief children may experience.
“Plenty of kids get into arguments or disagreements between each other, because maybe they’re not feeling great that day, because it’s just been stressful. They can just come in here, have fun instead of resorting to violence,” Lincoln said.
Staff are educating the importance of mental health support systems because they believe there is strength in asking for help.
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