BELLEFONTE AREA
SCHOOL NEWS
814-355-4814 • www. basd. net
Children’ s Grief Awareness Month
November is Children’ s Grief Awareness Month. This designation focuses on the needs of grieving children and teens and helps to connect them with resources. In the Bellefonte Area School District, at the elementary level, students colored in butterflies and provided names or words of encouragement for those that have suffered a loss. Blue butterflies are a symbolism for the Children’ s Grief Awareness Month. At the middle school, a wall of support was created, with this year’ s theme being Champions of Hope. Throughout the month, all BAMS students had the opportunity to write a message in memory of someone who has died, or in support of classmates who are grieving. At the high school, students were also given the opportunity to write words of support for those grieving or suffering a loss and these messages are on the wall in the cafeteria for students and staff to view.
The district offers an array of resources for its students that are going through a grief journey. Some of these include school counselors, a school psychiatrist, school social workers, and a partnership with the Tides organization. Tides provides programs such as Tides Nights, Grief Education, Community Crisis Support, and Bridges. A special thank you to the Tides Program for providing the materials and guidance for the Grief Awareness activities, and for the school groups and community programming they provide year-round.
Tell Me Something Good Video:
There has been a recent video trend in which organizations will set up a video camera and participants provide something good about their day or something good about being a part of that organization. At the Bellefonte Area High School( BAHS), students were given the chance to say something good that has recently happened to them or that they are looking forward to. Approximately 150 students participated in this activity! Topics ranged from academics such as passing a math test and getting compliments on their ceramic work, to the more social such as getting tickets to an upcoming concert and earning their driver’ s license.
BASD Public Relations Coordinator, Carla Cipro, organized the activity. She had reached out to the communications manager, Adam Marcum, of the Local Monroe School District in Ohio, whose video was featured on the Today Show, and he helped provide insight and guidance on his process of creating the video. Mrs. Cipro stated,“ I wasn’ t sure what type of participation level I would receive with high school students. However, the students surprised me and it turned out to be a great and organic experience. The feedback that I have received from creating the video has also been phenomenal. I look forward to trying this out at the other levels of the district.” The video can be found on the Bellefonte Area School District YouTube
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