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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 2021)
2A | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | APPEAL TRIBUNE Helping Kids Cope with Pandemic-Related Mental Health Issues Address: P.O. Box 13009, Salem, OR 97309 Phone: 503-399-6773 Fax: 503-399-6706 Email: sanews@salem.gannett.com Web site: www.SilvertonAppeal.com Staff Megan Lapidus h Problems at school h Lack of interest in fun activities h Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits Willamette Connections Academy Do younger and older students have different responses? COVID-19 has turned the world up- side down for many Oregon students. Parents, health experts, and school offi- cials continue to seek ways to help kids cope with pandemic-related mental health challenges. The pandemic forced school districts to shift to emergency online learning. While their efforts were herculean, the proper infrastructure to fully support students academically, socially and emotionally may not have been avail- able. The ongoing disruptions to daily routines created a considerable increase in anxiety, depression, and trauma in students of all ages. We know that children are usually pretty resilient, but the events of this last year have been unlike any other. The emotional challenges facing students haven’t been restricted to school clo- sures and fear of sickness. Children have seen their families lose loved ones, jobs, and homes in many cases. As parents and others look to support their students’ social and emotional needs, here are some of the questions being asked: Yes, younger children may exhibit in- creased meltdowns, seem clingy, with- drawn or have physical symptoms like head and tummy aches. Moving through puberty is tough enough, so for many teens the pandemic has been especially difficult. Look for children so depressed they skip virtual classes, won’t get out of bed or act out with risky behaviors. Are there a lot of children experiencing mental health distress in Oregon? Children are like sponges, soaking up emotions their parents express, so it’s important to model healthy behaviors. Letting your children know if you’re worried or sad with a calm attitude sends a powerful message. It helps the children be more resilient, especially if you’re reassuring kids they’re loved and that you’re there for them. There’s been a surge in youth needing services for stress, anxiety, posttrau- matic stress disorder, panic, or other is- sues. While suicides and attempts haven’t increased since the pandemic began, calls to Oregon’s YouthLine seek- ing mental health assistance have risen 35 percent. Students overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, or other conditions, also face poor academic performance. How do I know if my child’s mental health is suffering? Emotional and behavioral issues aren’t the same in every student, but common signs to watch for include: h Feelings of sadness h Moodiness or irritability What is one thing I can do daily for my child’s emotional struggles? Check in with your student and really listen. Invite your child to talk about what’s troubling them and ask open- ended questions; “How are you doing? Why do you feel that way?” Set aside screens to create space for children to open up about their feelings. Use draw- ings with younger children to express moods or have a conversation with teens about their mental health during a walk or car ride. Does my behavior as a parent have a big impact in times like this? How else can I help my child cope with mental health challenges? Unstructured time invites anxiety and other problems so that’s why kids thrive on having a routine. Maintain a structure for your student’s day includ- ing exercise, a healthy diet, and plenty of sleep. Consider scheduling safe and social- ly-distant meet-ups for your children. Staying in touch with friends helps pre- vent kids from feeling lonely and News Director Don Currie 503-399-6655 dcurrie@statesmanjournal.com Advertising Westsmb@gannett.com Deadlines News: 4 p.m. Thursday Letters: 4 p.m. Thursday Obituaries: 11 a.m. Friday Display Advertising: 4 p.m. Wednesday Legals: 3 p.m. Wednesday Classifieds: 4 p.m. Friday News Tips The Appeal Tribune encourages suggestions for local stories. Email the newsroom, submit letters to the editor and send announcements to sanews@salem.gannett.com or call 503-399-6773. Classifieds: call 503-399-6789 Retail: call 503-399-6602 Legal: call 503-399-6789 Missed Delivery? Call: 800-452-2511 Hours: until 7 p.m. Wednesdays; until 3 p.m. other weekdays To Subscribe Call: 800-452-2511 $21 per year for home delivery $22 per year for motor delivery $30.10 per year mail delivery in Oregon $38.13 per year mail delivery outside Oregon Main Statesman Journal publication Suggested monthly rates: Monday-Sunday: $22, $20 with EZ Pay Monday-Saturday: $17.50, $16 with EZ Pay Wednesday-Sunday: $18, $16 with EZ Pay Monday-Friday: $17.50, $16 with EZ Pay Sunday and Wednesday: $14, $12 with EZ Pay Sunday only: $14, $12 with EZ Pay To report delivery problems or subscribe, call 800-452-2511 To Place an Ad Published every Wednesday by the Statesman Journal, P.O. Box 13009, Salem, OR 97309. USPS 469-860, Postmaster: Send address changes to Appeal Tribune, P.O. Box 13009, Salem, OR 97309. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID: Salem, OR and additional offices. Send letters to the editor and news releases to sanews@salem.gannett.com. stressed. Even virtual playdates over video chats are good ways to keep stu- dents socially connected. Should I seek professional help for my student? Researchers say prolonged periods of isolation lead to higher rates of depres- sion and anxiety in children. If you see your child’s symptoms getting worse, like panic attacks or developing phobias, then seeking professional help is en- couraged. Children experiencing severe condi- tions may need medication or therapy, so it is important to connect with your family’s pediatrician or a school coun- selor. Is there anything positive about school shutdowns? Pre-pandemic, students often en- rolled in Willamette Connections Acad- emy because of mental health chal- lenges they faced in the traditional school setting. This past year, students who are new to our online school discov- ered similar benefits. They’ve also expe- rienced what it’s like to learn at their own pace, have flexible learning sched- ules, and work one-on-one with teach- ers. We are still in the thick of the pan- demic and uncertainty of when full-time in-person learning will return in Oregon lingers. The good news is vaccinations are being administered and families are doing their best to navigate distance and hybrid learning. To reach the YouthLine text “teen2teen” to 839863, call 877-968- 8491, or chat at www.oregonyouthline- .org. Connections Academy is also hosting a free webinar called Managing Anxiety in Virtual School, Thursday, February 25th at 10 am to get more information visit WillametteConnectionsAcade- my.com/Events. *Megan Lapidus is a high school counselor at Willamette Connections Academy. She has been an educator for eleven years, a school counselor for three of those years. She is certified as a Trau- ma and Resilience Practitioner in Edu- cation. For more information about Wil- lamette Connections Academy go to Wil- lametteConnectionsAcademy.com or call 888-478-9474. Blossoms Continued from Page 1A throughout our region,” Kuh said. “We’re missing a cog in there, maybe, in the coming year." Senate President Peter Courtney, D- Salem, said the Capitol Mall was nice, but "flat and plain" when he first arrived in Salem in 1969. When the parking structure project was announced, he had doubts that it would turn out as in- tended. But, he said, they pulled it off, turning the mall into a destination for folks from outside Oregon, as well as state workers venturing out of doors on their lunch breaks. “The mall became a masterpiece,” Courtney said. “I could see D.C., go see their cherry blossoms — and I’ll say they’re nice — but I’ll tell you, come to Oregon, you ought to check out our cherry blossoms. They’re pretty darn good, too.” Reporter Connor Radnovich covers the Oregon Legislature and state gov- ernment. Contact him at cradnov- ich@statesmanjournal.com or 503- 399-6864, or follow him on Twitter at @CDRadnovich. Measure 11 Continued from Page 1A in response to the poll. “My office stands with victims of crime and I believe Bal- lot Measure 11 sentences are one of the most crucial ways that we can keep our entire community safe from the most serious of offenders.” Though each is different, the four proposals before the Oregon Legislature all take aim at reforming the sentencing guidelines. It also would allow those al- ready facing convictions eligible for a reduction in sentence. Each bill would require a two-thirds vote in each Cham- ber — or 40 House Members and 20 Senate Members. Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, chief sponsor of Senate Bill 401, said his proposed legislation would replace minimum sentencing with presumptive sentencing guidelines — essentially giv- A state parks employee trims cherry blossom trees damaged by the ice storm on the Capitol Mall on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. CONNOR RADNOVICH / STATESMAN JOURNAL ing judges more discretion over the sen- tence. The other bills are SB 191 and HB 2172. The goal is to make the criminal jus- tice system more fair and balanced. “Our whole system is set up for ad- vocates to ... put (their) case before the court and then the court makes the de- cision” on the sentence, he said. Prozanski serves as a contract prose- cutor at the municipal courts in the cit- ies of Eugene, Florence and Springfield in Lane County. “I’d like to get us back to the basics — the foundations of what our criminal justice system was built on and I believe that that is a much fairer way,” he said. Changing more than sentencing House Bill 2002 also proposes mak- ing the current mandatory minimum sentences discretionary, but also tack- les reforms in parole and probation, and reinvestment in culturally-specific ser- vices, such as drug treatment provided in other languages. “The bill is a much more comprehen- sive look at inequities in our system,” said Shannon Wight, deputy director of the Partnership for Safety and Justice, an Oregon-based organization focused on advancing policy for public safety re- form. “I think there’s no question that what happened with George Floyd’s murder and Black Lives Matter over the summer has elevated the need for jus- tice reform in Oregon and across the country.” The justice partnership is one of sev- eral organizations that proposed the legislation including the Latino Net- work, Coalition of Communities of Col- or, Central City Concern, Red Lodge Transition Services, and Bridges to Change. Wight said the district attorneys as- sociation’s poll shows 57.9 % of Orego- nians were in support of legislation that left sentencing up to the judge — “and we think that’s right.” But many of the state’s top attorneys fear the passage of the bills could “dra- matically” reduce many prison sen- tences for Oregon’s most violent and sexually dangerous criminals. “We hope that Legislators from across Oregon hear from their constitu- ents on these sweeping reform and re- peal proposals,” Clarkson said in a statement. “While they have spoken be- fore at the ballot box in favor of manda- tory minimum sentences for violent fel- onies, our Legislators need to hear it again. The proposals as drafted would have devastating effects on victims and their families and our crime rates.” Virginia Barreda is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@states- manjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
