School Wellness Committee

The School Wellness Committee held its January monthly meeting focused on family mental health education. The meeting featured a presentation from the Jed Foundation on parent training opportunities, including suicide prevention, LGBTQ+ student mental health, and reducing stigma, such as It’s Ok to Say Suicide, Proud and Thriving: Supporting the Mental Health & Well-being of LGBTQIA+ Students, and Unraveling the Stigma: Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Support. Committee members discussed potential focus areas and the importance of supporting families across elementary, middle, and high school.

The committee also reviewed feedback from recent Screenagers film screenings. The Mental Health in the Digital Age film was considered dated, and high school students felt it might not resonate with their peers. In contrast, the Elementary School Age Edition: Growing Up in the Digital Age was seen as useful psychoeducation, beneficial for children to watch with parents, and supportive for discussing healthy digital boundaries.

Participants met in homogeneous groups of parents/guardians, students, and staff to identify family education needs. Key themes included developmentally appropriate behaviors and limit-setting, support for LGBTQ+ students (particularly transgender youth), screen use, and parent-teen communication around mental health. Families also highlighted concerns about school transitions, academic pressure, and suicide-related issues at the high school level.

Future meetings will focus on identifying priority areas for family mental health education, discussing staff training needs, and providing feedback on the draft Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Promotion Board Policy/Administrative Regulation 5141.52. The committee will meet next on February 9, 4:00–5:00 PM (virtual).

On December 8, the School Wellness Committee received an overview of PAUSD mental health programs, services, and partnerships, including SEL, in-house school-based programs, ERMHS, Wellness Centers, therapeutic services, and community partners like Uwill. Members discussed using data to guide action, amplifying student feedback, involving students in outreach, and embedding mental health education across classrooms and Advisory/SELF. The committee also reviewed family education programs, such as Screenagers and Jed Foundation workshops, to support student well-being. Work will continue at the next meeting on January 14 to further strengthen student and family engagement and promote a culture of wellness.

On November 10, the School Wellness Committee continued its work on Student Voice & Communication and Staff & Family Education, keeping student well-being central. Members reviewed Panorama survey data, noting strong supportive relationships and improvements in emotion regulation, while identifying secondary teacher-student relationships as an area for site-level attention. In small groups, the committee began shaping actionable goals and immediate steps, which will inform the January board meeting and guide strategies for the year. The next meeting is December 8, 2025.

The School Wellness Committee refined its focus for the year, prioritizing Staff & Family Education and Student Voice & Communication, with program review as a potential third area. Members reviewed student feedback from Panorama survey data and discussed strategies to support student well-being. The committee will next develop actionable goals and strategies, with the following meeting on November 10, 2025.

The School Wellness Committee held its first meeting on September 8, 2025. The committee, including students, staff, families, board members, and community partners, will advise the district on wellness programs and policies. The meeting focused on introductions and priorities for the year, including centering student voice, supporting staff and family education, reviewing programs, and engaging community resources. The committee will meet monthly, with the next meeting scheduled for October 14, 2025.