In the wake of recent deaths of two students, South Orange-Maplewood Superintendent of Schools Jason Bing sent a letter via email to parents on Thursday explaining how the District is addressing a rise in mental health issues among students and asked parents to check in with their children on a daily basis.
“Beyond these specific tragedies, we are seeing a concerning trend that we must address openly. We have observed a significant rise in mental health challenges among our high school students,” he wrote. “This includes an extensive increase in self-harm attempts, mental health hospitalizations, and pervasive rates of anxiety and depression. Our students are navigating a complex world of academic pressure, social media-induced stress, and the painful impact of bullying.”
He outlined several investments the District has made “to ensure that no student feels they have to struggle alone,” including increasing its Mental Health Team and therapeutic programs, enhancing the curriculum to include mental health as part of the health and physical education program, and incorporating “Wellness Wednesdays” — dedicated time at Columbia High School for learning coping skills and stress-reducing activities.
However, he wrote, the District can’t do it alone.
“We ask that you make it a daily practice to check in with your children,” he wrote. “Ask them not just about the highlights of their day, but specifically about the “bad moments” they may have encountered. Normalizing the discussion of struggles helps remove the stigma surrounding mental health and reminds our students that it is okay to not be okay.”
Bing said the District will be hosting a series of community forums and workshops for parents to learn more about District resources and how to navigate difficult conversations at home.
He also included the following links:
- The district has launched the STOPit Safety and Wellness app to build a culture of “speaking up”. The APP provides fully anonymous reporting, two way chat with incident response specialists, a library of resources, and live crisis counselors.
- Mental Health & Counseling Resources – Explore the South Orange & Maplewood School District
The full text of the email is below:
