The SAP News
Metuchen School District // Spring 2023
The Student Assistance Program wants to remind you of the supports available to all students who may be looking for some additional support here in the school building.
The Student Assistance Program in partnership with Wellspring Center for Prevention provides CONFIDENTIAL mental health counseling to all students who may be dealing with the following:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief/loss
- Relationship issues
- Peer and family conflict
- Substance abuse
- Body image issues
- LGBTQ+
- Other symptoms that may be impacting the student's ability to be successful academically
Stop into Room 139 to see Ms. Rubin or Mrs. Gonnello!
Mental Health Moments
Test Anxiety
May is a testing month - Click here for an article to support your wellness, help you manage stress and perform at your best!
Mental Health Awareness Month
Self-Diagnosis using TikTok
Teens are turning to TikTok for mental health advice and are self-diagnosing. Click here to find out more about what teens are viewing on social media and how you can help!
MHS Honors Awareness Weeks/Months
Say Something Week
Sandy Hook Promise is a non-profit organization started to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Their overarching goal is to teach young people and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others. Every year, during the month of March, the organization highlights various activities done in schools that promote a more positive school climate.
Sandy Hook Promise’s Say Something program teaches high school students to recognize the warning signs of someone at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to say something to a trusted adult to get help.
Through this initiative, we will be teaching our students the 3 steps of Say Something.
- Recognize the signs
- Act immediately and take it seriously
- Say something to a trusted adult
This year, Metuchen High School participated in this event by displaying photos of trusted adults in the building on our SAP bulletin board in the main hallway. The photos were accompanied by a few words as to why they are a trusted adult. We hope that this initiative will assist in increasing physical, emotional, and mental safety in our school.
National Stress Awareness Month
AIR Dogs
In honor of National Stress Awareness Month, the Student Assistance Program partnered with AIR Dogs: Paws for Minds to bring therapy dogs into our school. AIR is a non-profit organization that strives to provide mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs to our youth and young adults. Interested in learning more about this incredible program?
Click here for more information!
Throw Your Stress Away!
During all lunches, students were given an opportunity to engage in a stress-management activity where they "threw their stress away!" This activity allowed for students to stop and notice stressful thoughts, write them down, and then "throw" them out of their mind. Students are encouraged to tap into this coping skill the next time they notice unhelpful thoughts are taking up unnecessary space in their head!
Looking for other ways to manage uncomfortable feelings? Check this out!
The Student Assistance Program hosted a wellness break with chair massages and self-care goodie bags for staff thanks to Dr. Ryan and staff from Northeast Spine & Wellness Center!
Mental Health Awareness Month
As always, we had our prize wheel where students had a chance to "Spin to Win!" Prizes included stress balls, fidgets, Mental Health Awareness swag, affirmation stickers, and more!