At MS54, we commit to caring for our physical, mental, and social health and well-being as an essential part of education. The Wellness Committee (formerly known as the School Wellness Council), founded by the School Leadership Team in 2015, invites the entire school community — administrators, teachers, support staff, students, and parents/guardians — to develop Wellness initiatives that become part of the way of life at our school. Our mission is to listen carefully and inclusively to our community’s Wellness needs and to respond in meaningful ways. The pandemic has affected each of us differently, so we are paying close attention to people’s evolving priorities.
Want to join the MS54 Wellness Movement? Or just say hi? Write to Wellness Lead Alison Gardy at wellness@ms54pta.org.
Find out more about our previous work in our Archive and daily tips on our Facebook page, The Well at 54.
The NYCDOE Office of School Wellness Programs newsletter also provides a wealth of information for students and parents.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
- September 27 @ 7 PM
- October 25 @ 7 PM
- November 29 @ 7 PM
- December 20 @ 7 PM
- January 24 @ 7 PM
- February 28 @ 7 PM
- March 27 @ 7 PM
- April 17 @ 7 PM
- May 22 @ 7 PM
- June date TBA
All meetings are virtual and are held on Wednesdays. Zoom links will be posted. Meetings are one hour long. Details for workshops are provided below under “Initiatives, Workshops and Meetings.”
RESOURCES
Tips on How to Have Happier Children with Judy Oppenheim
Thank you to Judy and participating parents and teachers for a workshop full of insights and resources – Check out the presentation (and her full bio): PTA Happiness Project – September 27.
MS54’s Mental Health Resource Guide
MS54’s counseling team has provided a mental health resource guide to clarify families’ first points of contacts within the school, as well as listing free and low-cost mental health resources in the community, mental health resources for families of color, and a list of recommended books and podcasts to engage families and children around mental health issues.
Mental Health Resources for the Latinx Community
The NYCDOE Family and Community Wellness Collective suggests the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center. The mission of the National Hispanic and Latino MHTTC is to provide high-quality training and technical assistance to improve the capacity of the workforce serving the Hispanic and Latino communities in prevention, treatment and recovery for behavioral health.
The Science of Well-Being for Teens
The Child Mind Institute
Brief videos to help children manage intense emotions. These videos can help kids learn to handle intense emotions without giving in to the urge to act in impulsive ways that can make problems bigger.
Helping Your Child Manage Back-to-School Stress, Child Mind Institute, 9/14/2022.
CMI’s Annual Mental Health Awareness Campaign, featuring video messages from celebrity participants who share simple and meaningful advice to encourage children who are struggling to seek help.
Self-Care
- Askwith Education Forum | The Crisis in Adolescent Mental Health – YouTube
The Crisis in Adolescent Mental Health — Hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, speakers include host Josephine Kim, Linda Charmaraman, Lisa Damour, Alisha Moreland-Capuia, and Richard Weissbourd. March 21, 2023 - Teens are Struggling Now. What can Parents do? (2/28/2023, NY Times). Wise, strategic tips for communicating with your teen (and the whole family).
- Check out the wonderful conversation on how self-care is rooted in community from Jamil Zaki, Stanford University associate professor of psychology and author of The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World.
- Be Well Meditations on Vimeo
- Tool-Kit for Talking About Mental Health and Seeking Help (developed for NYC employees; generally relevant)
INITIATIVES, WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS
September Meeting
MS54’s first wellness meeting of the year! Check back for topics
Español de República Dominicana 
English