Mental Health Mondays 2024
Mental Health Monday #4 - Summer Resources
Dear Arcadia Unified Staff, Students, Families, and Community Members,
We hope you are enjoying this Memorial Day off and finding some quality time for yourself or with friends and family. While we are off today, let us not forget why, and remember those who sacrificed so much. Today also marks the final Monday in May, Mental Health Awareness Month, and as the school year is rapidly coming to a close, we all know mental health and wellness is a year-round process. We want to let you know about a valuable resource that is available to Arcadia Unified students and families, even during the summer. We first introduced Hazel Health last year, as a free resource to our students and families.
This wellness program, more information attached below, provides students with mental health support from a licensed therapist at school or at home and is at no cost to Arcadia Unified families. Requests and referrals can be done through AUSD staff or parents. Please note that students cannot request services on their own.
Hazel Health provides therapy via video sessions through our students’ school counseling offices or from the comfort of home. Licensed therapists from this program can help students with:
-Mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss
-Anxiety, worry, fears
-Social skills, peer & family relationships
-Academic stress
Our partnership with Hazel Health will be available at no cost through June 2025. For more detailed information and to sign up, please visit https://bit.ly/ausdhazel.
We also want to remind you about our Mental Health & Wellness Support and Resources webpage, which we continually update with information, links to resources, wellness tips and strategies, and more. You can also find each Mental Health Monday series from the past three years on this webpage.
We wish everyone a fantastic end of the school year, and a wonderful summer ahead!
In wellness,
Arcadia Unified School District
Mental Health Monday #3 - Wednesday Workshops
Good afternoon Arcadia Unified Staff, Students, Parents, and Community,
In our third installment of Mental Health Mondays, we are very excited to let you know about two great opportunities to learn and discuss mental health and wellness in our community. Please save the date for Wednesday of this week, May 22, as two different events will take place.
The City of Arcadia and the Arcadia City Health Committee are hosting the City-Wide Health Education Series, a free, medical seminar program. Each month a specialized medical professional will present on a topic relevant to Arcadians. This month on Wednesday, the topic is Adolescent Mental Health. Pre-registration is recommended. Click here to register. Arrive at 5:45 p.m. for refreshments and onsite registration. It will be held at the Arcadia Public Library - 20 W Duarte Road, and be presented by Robert Holloway, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry & the Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, and Anesthesiology, Keck Medicine of USC. To see the full calendar of events for the Health Education Series, you can visit this website.
The other opportunity on Wednesday is a Mental Health Round Table which is being hosted by senior students from Arcadia High School who have completed a civic action project on mental health in their Government course. This round table event is an opportunity for parents to engage in meaningful discussion around the topic of mental health. The evening will feature presentations led by the students, followed by an open conversation where all attendees are encouraged to share their thoughts on the topic. Don't miss this chance to support our students! You can RSVP at this link.
We also want to remind you about our Mental Health & Wellness Support and Resources webpage, which we continually update with information, links to resources, wellness tips and strategies, and more.
In wellness,
Arcadia Unified School District
Mental Health Monday #2 - Deep Breathing
Dear Arcadia Unified Students, Staff, Parents/Guardians,
We are excited to bring you the second installment of our Mental Health Monday series, which we launched three years ago in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month, as we continue to share resources and information to help prioritize and place a focus on how crucial mental health and wellness are. Today we will discuss one simple yet very effective technique called “deep breathing” that can help us manage stress, reduce anxiety, and elevate our mood.
Before we talk about how to effectively practice deep breathing, we will first explain just a few of the numerous benefits it offers.
- Reduces stress and anxiety: Deep breathing can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure, which then reduces stress and anxiety levels.
- Increases focus and concentration: Deep breathing can help to clear your mind and increase focus and concentration, making it easier to stay focused on tasks.
- Boosts mood: Deep breathing can help to release endorphins, which are feel-good hormones that can improve your mood and reduce feelings of depression.
- Improves physical health: Deep breathing can also have physical health benefits, such as improving lung function and reducing symptoms of asthma.
Box breathing, sometimes called “square breathing,” is a form of deep breathing and is a technique that can be practiced anywhere at any time. Whether you're in class, preparing for a meeting, playing or watching a basketball game, or on the school bus, review the steps below and see how simple deep breathing can be!
How to do box/square breathing:
- Be in a relaxed position. Having your feet on the floor or ground is ideal but not needed.
- Slowly inhale and take a long deep breath counting from one to four. Your lungs should be filled with air but not overly forced.
- Hold your breath for four seconds.
- Slowly exhale through your mouth for four seconds.
- Repeat the above four steps, which all include four-second inhales, holds, and exhales, four times or more if you are comfortable. Are you noticing a theme? 4!
- To Note: You should do this slowly and comfortably, never feeling out of breath or tired.
- Advanced Tip: On your exhale, at the same time you are breathing out, slowly relax your muscles and let them sink into your chair or the floor. For example, as you are slowly exhaling, gently relax and release your face muscles, your shoulders, and all of your other muscles. This will lead to even deeper relaxation and increased benefits.
Additional Resources to Learn Deep Breathing and Box Breathing:
-This “Guided Square Breathing for Children” video is a great way to teach elementary-aged students how to easily practice box breathing.
-This “Box Breathing Technique” video is ideal for middle school students and adults alike.
-This article from the Cleveland Clinic explains how simple box breathing is, how powerful it is, why the Navy SEALs even practice it, and how to do it.
Incorporating deep breathing into your daily routine can have a positive and significant impact on your mental health and overall wellbeing. Consider taking a few minutes each day to practice deep breathing exercises, and encourage your children to do the same.
We also want to remind you about the Arcadia Rotary Teri Muse Walk-a-Thon for Mental Health Awareness. The walk will take place on Sunday, May 19, at the Arcadia County Park, and proceeds will directly benefit the Arcadia High School Wellness Center. You can register here now. We encourage you to walk with friends, family, get a team, and get out and enjoy a beautiful walk with your community!
Your partner in wellness,
Arcadia Unified School District
Mental Health Monday #1 - Mental Health Awareness Month & Wellness Walk
Hello Arcadia Unified Students, Staff, Parents, and Community,
Today marks the first full week of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. While mental health and wellness are essential every day, we want to shed extra light on their significance this Month. This is our third consecutive year for our Arcadia Unified Mental Health Mondays outreach, and we hope you find these resources and information helpful. We encourage you to share it with your family, friends, and loved ones.
We are very excited to announce in our first Mental Health Monday this year about the Arcadia Rotary Teri Muse Walk-a-Thon for Mental Health Awareness. The walk will take place on Sunday, May 19, at the Arcadia
County Park, and proceeds will directly benefit the Arcadia High School Wellness Center. You can register here now. We encourage you to walk with friends, family, get a team, and get out and enjoy a beautiful walk with your community.
Teri Muse, a Past President of the Rotary Club of Arcadia, gave generously of her time and energy to promote community involvement, healthy families, and accessibility to health resources. Teri's personal goal was to see an end to the stigma and fear of seeking help for emotional and mental illness. This walk-a-thon is a memorial to Teri, who lost her battle with cancer in 2023. We are thrilled to support this great cause, which will benefit the Arcadia High Wellness Center and our students and staff.
We also want to remind you about our Mental Health & Wellness Support and Resources webpage, which we continually update with information, links to resources, wellness tips and strategies, and more.
In wellness,
Arcadia Unified School District
For Mental Health Mondays 2022, please visit https://www.ausd.net/apps/pages/mhmondays.
For the comprehensive Arcadia Unified School District Mental Health & Wellness Support and Resources webpage, please visit https://www.ausd.net/apps/pages/mentalhealth.