Leon County school leaders held the first of four workshops Thursday evening focusing on the mental health of students.
Superintendent Rocky Hanna says he noticed a problem after visiting dozens of classrooms with masked students. “The lights were on but no one was home,” Hanna said.
“I’ve been in this profession for a long time as a school administrator, especially at the high school level, and I then realized that our kids were in crisis. They were having trouble dealing with all of this,” Hanna said. “Being cooped up at home for 4 or 5 months and then trying to transition back to school with wearing masks and the requirements of social distancing – it was taking its toll, and not just with COVID; with all the social unrest and the events that they’ve witnessed.”
The workshops are being held once a week through December 9th. They’re presented via Facebook Live at 6pm. Parents will learn how to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms that their children may be experiencing depression, anxiety, or increased stress.
The presentations are being held in partnership with Capital Regional Medical Center. They’re led by experts in the field who take questions from online participants.
