The administration here at Blind Brook has been claiming that many actions and initiatives they have taken are in the name of dealing with student stress and mental health. However, what do students have to say on the matter, and are these initiatives actually helping?
The student body seems to vary in opinion on the topic. When asked about her opinion on school initiatives for dealing with stress and mental health, senior Alessandra Wemm responds, “I think that the school addresses mental health fairly well as of late. I’ve noticed the administration utilizing certain strategies such as mental health-focused assemblies and employing trained individuals like Ms. Neil-Robinson, the new BBHS social worker.” However, some students feel as if the school could be doing much more. One such student is senior Corey Schiz, who responded to the same question with, “I think that the school can do a better job addressing mental health. I feel that [the new] advisory [period] is a little pointless because I’m not going to share how I feel with people I’m not friends with, and I’m sure others feel similarly. The senior groups, [with Ms. Tricarico], however, have been somewhat helpful in this regard.”
Another student summarizes what seems to be a middle ground on the topic. As Junior Ian Goldfeld opined, “I know that the school has not had a great history of dealing with students’ mental health. But personally, I think that in the past few years, they’ve gotten better, especially with the addition of Ms. Neil-Robinson. Her presence has helped many people including myself and she’s a great addition to the school.” But Goldfeld added, “I still think there is so much more the school can do to help with students’ mental health. For example, one big detail that is overlooked is that the testing calendar isn’t frequently utilized by teachers. This in turn adds undo stress to students’ lives and can negatively impact our mental health.”
The student body recognizes that the administration is taking steps and adding initiatives to address student mental health. That being said, the effectiveness of these steps is debatable. However, one thing that everyone can agree with is that addressing and confronting student mental health is of paramount importance.