Mental Health Highlighted in the Freshman Seminar Curriculum

This school year, Samo has implemented mental health education in the freshman seminar curriculum through inviting the school psychologists to teach all freshmen students about mental health issues and inform them about the new programs Samo has provided to address these concerns through the wellness services. The traditional curriculum contains lesson plans that help freshmen plan their futures by exploring potential career choices and steps they can take to follow those career paths. Throughout the second semester, the curriculum focuses on decision making and the effects of eugenics, the Holocaust and genocide in society. They end the year with an attempt to improve the community and their school through their civic action project.  This year, the focus on mental health has been emphasized in order to ensure that the new high school students understand the importance of maintaining their mental health (especially throughout the next four years). Mental health administrators on campus also hope that this concentration in the curriculum will encourage students to take advantage of the many new mental health services provided to students, including groups that help LGBTQ+ students dealing with any mental health issues, students dealing with substance abuse, as well as helping students to develop anxiety and depression coping skills. Teachers believe that they need something new to help out students that were having some issues. “I invited [the psychologist] because I am noticing there are more kids who demonstrate symptoms of anxiety disorders and I wanted them to help them by introducing them to the new psychologists and the great groups they are leading here at Samo,” freshman seminar teacher Claudia Bautista said. Teachers and administration believe it is important for students to feel comfortable in and out of the classroom setting, especially as they begin in a new environment.  “I think here at our school as we’ve moved forward and continued to grow in this area I think it’s important that freshmen understand that there’s someone who cares and that there is a place to go, and why not have it at the beginning of their high school career,” Principal Antonio Shelton said. Although they are adding in a new topic, it does not take the focus off the major lessons from past years, such as the 10 year plan. All old curriculum from the past is still present this school year, but taught through different lesson plans and a new approach as the curriculum is adopted each year in response to Samo students’ needs.  By including this new topic, teachers hope to help the students that are transitioning into the high school environment to make responsible choices, be aware of their resources and understand themselves better, be informed about how they can protect their mental health and how they can continue to carry this mindset outside of the classroom.  “What we’re trying to do is embed in the freshman experience that the choices that they make have a short term, medium term and long term effect. . . we’re hoping that they learn it and apply as they’re sophomores, juniors and seniors then they just take it with them to wherever they go,” freshman seminar teacher Carl Hobkirk said. With more attention being focused upon students mental health across the country, Samo hopes to help students build healthy habits that will continue to strengthen in the rest of their high school years and be useful beyond Samo.