West Rocks Middle School holds mental health fair
West Rocks Middle School held its first mental health fair. Students helped staff plan the event and picked out what activities to include. Eleven community organizations participated in the event.
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A Norwalk middle school highlighted the importance of mental health Wednesday.
West Rocks Middle School held its first mental health fair. Students helped staff plan the event and picked out what activities to include. Eleven community organizations participated in the event.
One of the school's social workers says the goal of the event is to make it easier for kids to talk about their mental health and reduce any stigmas associated with expressing themselves.
"This developmental stage is very important. This is where kids learn about not only how they feel, but why they feel how they feel. And also how to communicate it, how to respond to their emotions. And kind of sets them up just for the world, as they transition to high school," says Wendy Chum, LCSW.
The school's other social worker, Caitlan Ornousky, says it's important to speak with students about mental health because of the easy access and rise of social media, AI and other technology. She adds that by speaking with middle schoolers, they are able to receive real information from trusted adults.
Chum expected 600 students to attend the fair, which families also attended.
