By Crystal Hayduk
The Chelsea School District Board of Education heard a presentation about the #whyyoumatter campaign at their meeting on Nov. 14, which was chaired by Laurel McDevitt, the board’s vice-president, in the absence of President Steve Olsen. Anne Mann was also absent.
A team of nine from Chelsea High School, which included counseling staff, teachers, and students, as well as Principal Mike Kapolka, shared information about the purpose of the student-driven poster art project, which will eventually include about 1,000 students and staff.
“Every single member of the high school community will be on a poster,” said art teacher Laura Naar, who emphasized that the project and an associated website is still in progress and will be revealed to the community at a later, still undetermined, date.
Social worker Beth Morris and counselor Jason Murphy said that there has been a notable increase in depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues in students – locally, and around the county, state and nation. The campaign began as a way to give students a sense of self-realization and actualization that everyone matters; and as a means of helping to heal following the tragic deaths of three students in 2015-16.
Superintendent Julie Helber said the campaign is “an unbelievable act of compassion, the way the students have wrapped their arms around each other. It’s phenomenal.”
In other board news:
- McDevitt congratulated the winners of last week’s school board election – Laura Bush, Shawn Quilter, and Kristin van Reesema. She thanked all of the candidates for their interest in running for the board.
- The board voted to accept a donation in excess of $1,000 from the George Winans’ Memorial Fund to help support the Independence Hall program at Chelsea High School.
- The Chelsea Education Association is honoring teachers and staff with daily recognition during American Education Week, Nov. 14-18.
- The transportation department received a certificate of excellence for achieving a perfect score on school bus safety inspections during the 2015-16 school year.
Upcoming dates:
- Nov. 22 is a half-day for students.
- There will be no school Nov. 23 – 25.
- The next school board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 at the Washington Street Education Center.
