Education Lab: Fresno students deal with trauma fatigue as schools work to reopen
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Hello education readers,
Students all over the Fresno area are stressed. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, coupled with the California wildfires, the frustration of distance learning, and possible economic insecurity has caused upticks in phone calls from students seeking mental health services.
Additionally, Fresno County health officials have said calls for suicide attempts among young people have increased.
In a recent article by Ed Week, psychologists said sustained periods of trauma extract a heavy toll on a person’s mental health.
“When it comes to trauma, the old saying, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ isn’t true,” said Robin Gurwitch, a professor of psychology at Duke University who studies the effect of trauma on children. “It’s a cumulative impact.”
How are school districts dealing with mental health needs and trauma?
Reporter Monica Velez is currently working on a story about the Creek Fires and how it has affected education locally. Are you a family that has been impacted either directly or indirectly by the fires? Reach out to Monica and let her know. Her email is mvelez@fresnobee.com.
Sadly, Californians have experienced this type of long-lasting trauma in the past. This story by Ed-Source shares the experiences of a family that escaped the Paradise Camp Fire only to be met by other anxieties.
If you are a student or parent of an FUSD student and need mental health resources, please reach out to your local school site or check on the FUSD social-emotional wellness and support website. Clovis Unified students can find mental health and suicide prevention resources here.
Additional suicide prevention resources can be found on the Each Mind Matters website. There are resources in both English and Spanish.
Fresno State President Makes history
It was announced this week that Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro has been named the new chancellor of the entire California State school system. Castro, a Hanford native, is the first Mexican-American CSU chancellor, the largest four-year public university system in the United States.
Ed Lab reporting
Fresno and Clovis students could be returning to schools soon. Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified school districts are seeking waivers from the Fresno Department of Health to re-open elementary schools. Fresno Unified elementary schools may open as soon as Oct. 13. Clovis schools are still developing an opening date and an on-campus schedule.
Clovis student a finalist in elite STEM competition
Pauline Victoria Allasas Estrada of Granite Ridge Intermediate School in Clovis was recently named one of the most promising middle school STEM students in the country. Allasas Estrada is a top 30 finalist in the national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics middle school competition the Broadcom Masters.
Allasas Estrada proposes using a custom-built infrared sensing rover to detect drought stress in plants.
Finalists will be competing for over $100,000 in awards. The final competition will be held virtually Oct. 17.
ASK THE ED LAB
Do you have an education question you’d like us to answer? Let us know! Contact the Ed Lab edlab@fresnobee.com.
That is all I have for this weeks newsletter. Do you like what you see? Subscribe to the newsletter or tell a friend. Also, feel free to follow the entire Ed Lab team on twitter at @IsabelSDieppa, @AshleighPanoo, @monicavelez21, and our editor @R0BParsons.
This story was originally published September 27, 2020 at 10:08 AM.