11th Edition

Do one with the kids, grandkids, or make one for yourself. Fun ideas might be:

• To try out a new coffee shop☕
• Skip rocks in a creek🪨🌊
• Eat a watermelon from the Farmer's Market🥦🍅🥬🍉
• Go to a drive in movie theater🍿🚘
• Watch a sunrise🌅
• Make root beer floats🥤
• Stargaze🤩🔭

There are so many fun things to do in summer that make you feel alive!

Keep reading to see all 5 TCS spirit days!

When kids are little, they adore answering questions. But as they grow older, it gets harder to get teens to open up. Technology, friends, and activities all fight for their attention.

With specific teenager questions, you’ll laugh with them. But also discover more about their day-to-day lives and deeper viewpoints.

To keep communication open for tweens- teens, ask questions that make them talk.

No one-word answers.

These questions for teens touch on music, movies, art, sports, and social life. Many of the things tweens and teens love to talk about!

Keep reading to see spirit days 4 and 5!

Despite recent strides in how our society approaches mental wellbeing, many Americans still don’t have access to the high-quality, comprehensive treatment and care they need. Just take a look at some of the staggering data about mental health in the United States:

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.
• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year.
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth have a mental health condition, but only half receive treatment.
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.

"NAMI's Take the Moment campaign is a reminder that amidst life's chaos, we all deserve a moment to refocus, recharge and nurture our mental well-being," said NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison Jr. "Together, let's use this moment and month to make self-care a priority and pave the way for healthier minds and happier lives."

Self-care is a broad term that includes:

• Nutrition - the foods you eat
• Lifestyle - how you spend your free time
• Financial - how you spend your money
• Cultural, religious, and spiritual practices - how you find meaning and value in life
• Physical Health Care - managing and preventing health issues
• Hygiene - taking care of yourself and the area around you

Keep reading to see spirit day 5!

In recent years, there has been an increase in awareness surrounding mental health. Individuals from every generation have taken the initiative to shine a light on mental health and work towards decreasing the shame and misconceptions associated with mental health. With this being said, it is important to understand that everyone’s mental health journey is not the same.

Keep reading to see days 4 and 5!

Active Minds and SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios teamed up to create A.S.K. Acknowledge, Support, Keep-in-Touch. This new “stop, drop, and roll” of emotional support was created in close collaboration with our incredible Youth Leadership Council.

In this exciting journey you’ll be supporting Charlie who is having an emotional conversation with Luna. You choose how Charlie responds in the conversation, and see A.S.K. Acknowledge, Support, Keep-in-Touch, in action.

The world is constantly changing, and it can be overwhelming to deal with everything going on around you. While society is getting more comfortable discussing mental health, it can still be hard to know “Where to Start” when it comes to taking care of your own well-being.

This May, we're joining Mental Health America in providing resources to help you and the children in your care LEARN, ACT, and ADVOCATE.

Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.

Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible.

Help is out there, and hope is possible. Here are some free resources to lean on if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis:

• SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a 24/7 treatment referral and information service.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers 24/7, confidential support for people in distress.
• The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ+ young people.
• FindTreatment.gov helps people seek treatment for mental and substance use disorders.
• National Institute of Mental Health outlines additional mental health services.

Keep reading for spirit day 5!

Learn how a simple backyard incident led these parents to change their approach. -->>

It was a sunny afternoon, and as per usual, all the neighborhood kids were out playing after school. My two sons, Jacob (age 9 at the time) and Mason (age 7 at the time), were picking teams to play a friendly game of baseball. They designated different trees and other landmarks as the bases and decided who would be up at bat first.

It all started as harmless fun, a way for them to release some energy from a day of learning. But as the game progressed, it took a turn for the worse.

Continue reading to uncover the powerful lessons learned about the importance of mental and emotional awareness.

Understanding and using a simple 5-point Scale in your family can be immensely beneficial for parents as they check in on their children's mental health. Using this scale on a regular basis with your kids can give you valuable insight into the emotional intensity your children are experiencing and provide appropriate support.

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and accidentally bumps you and shakes your arm, making you spill coffee everywhere.

Why did you spill the coffee??

-Because someone bumped into you, right??

WRONG ANSWER.

You spilled the coffee, because coffee was in the cup. If tea had been in it, you would have spilled tea.

Whatever is inside the cup is what will come out.

Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you, whatever is inside of you will come out.

So each of us have to ask ourselves... What's in my cup??

When life gets bumpy, what spills over??

Joy, gratefulness, peace, and humility??

Or anger, bitterness, harsh words, and reactions??

We CHOOSE what's in our cup!!

Moving forward, let's work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation to ourselves and others, kindness, gentleness, and love!!

This M‌ond‌ay marked the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, so we’re helping everyone take their first step towards improving their mental health and wellbeing. This could be as simple as taking a walk in nature, prioritising your sleep or opening up to a friend. It may only be a little thing, but if you keep doing it, it can kickstart long-term changes and make a big difference to how you feel.

And if you aren't sure of where to start, why not take this short Mind Plan quiz? Just 5 simple questions will give you a free personalised mental health action plan, with tips and advice to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.

What if ...we never took a chance?

What if ...we never tried anything new?

What if ...we never took a leap of faith?

What if ...we never lifted a finger to help others?

What if ...we sat back and watched others achieve their dreams while we stayed on the sidelines?

What if ...we never reached for the stars?

There are so many "what ifs" I could list here, but I'm sure you can think of your own that's more applicable to YOU.

I encourage you to resist the comfort zone and take the chance to reach your goals! Don't leave an arrow in your quiver today. You have so much to offer, and you have so much untapped potential. Don't let it go to waste, my friends!

Make your arrows count!

Educators, you are everyday superheroes. Your daily acts of kindness. Your perseverance. Your courage. Your flexibility. Your adaptability. And this in face of the hardship and lack of support that you face throughout your day. Thank you for continuing to restore hope and joy in education!

Now, we’re here to restore hope and joy in YOU. To support you, celebrate you, appreciate you, today and every day. This toolkit is created specifically for you to take care of you. Designed for educators, our toolkit includes practical, easy-to-use yoga and mindfulness tools to support your overall health and wellness as an educator. These tools give you the opportunity to take a well-deserved brain break and take care of your wellness right there during the school day.

Breathe for Change (33-page) toolkit includes:

• 7 dimensions of wellness
• 7 chair yoga tools
• 4 mindful practices
• 2 journal activities
• 1 vision board template
• 1 visualization
• 1 affirmation template with 10 pre-made affirmations

**WAITLIST ONLY**

*Course FULL*

This TCS page is designed to access information about mental health topics, receive tools you can use, provides you with resources for all kinds of needs , and where you can access past issues of the Tiger's Mind. Suggestions are always welcome!

Tallassee City Schools

Mental Health Services Coordinator

Email: Jen.Bafford@tcschools.com
Location: 901 E B Payne Sr Dr, Tallassee, AL 36078
Call or Text: 334-415-4125
Facebook: facebook.com/MrsJenBafford

NEW page on TCS Website: https://www.tcschools.com/page/mental-health-wellness