WCDS Introduces Parent Education Series on Wellness

Westchester Country Day School will host quarterly parent education series events open to parents of school-aged children at Westchester and in the community throughout the 2023-2024 school year.

Throughout the year, the school is organizing book talks, panel discussions and other resources to support parents in helping students grow academically and socially. Each quarter will have a different theme.

The purpose of the sessions is to educate parents on a variety of topics related to children's wellness following the pandemic. Mary Keever, interim head of school, says teachers have noticed changes in the social and emotional wellness of students over the past couple of years.

"Following the pandemic, we are navigating life with some challenges that didn't exist before," said Keever. "For two to three years, families experienced uncertainty and challenges to their well-established daily routines and social interactions. Children sensed the tension and stress in the adults around them. This has impacted the social-emotional development of students."

In response, Westchester introduced a wellness plan for the school year to provide educational programming for parents, students and teachers. The parent education series is one of the programs included in the plan. The plan also includes lessons and activities for students taught by the school counselors and nurse, professional development for teachers and staff, as well as activities and weekly newsletters to help teachers and staff care for their own personal wellness.

The first quarterly event in the series was a panel of counseling experts in October who discussed childhood mental health trends. Local professionals Na-Twan Allen of Transforming Senses, Catherine Cheek of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Behavioral Medicine, Donna Cumby of Aspire Counseling, and Jackie Tyson of Kaluluwa Counseling and Wellness Services spoke on anxiety, resilience, risk-taking and grief in children.

The next program in the series was a panel discussing healthy use of technology and social media. WCDS faculty members Sabrina Winstead, school counselor for grades pre-K-8, Terry Andrews, director of technology, Teresa Denmark, middle school technology teacher, and Deb Tuggle, K-5 technology teacher, shared information on internet and social media use by students, encouraging open communication about technology with children and the effects of technology on social-emotional and physical health.

The third program was focused on building literacy skills in preschool and early elementary students. WCDS faculty and staff members and community literacy experts shared the latest research on the Science of Reading, information on what to look for in quality literacy instruction, and tips and tools to support children with reading and writing skills at home.

The final program for the school year will explore the social and emotional health of student athletes. The event is open to the public and will be held from 6-7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, in the Wilson Center on the WCDS campus.