McClellan Elementary students in the West Jefferson Hills School District are learning to manage their emotions through the “Chill Mobile” program from Allegheny Health Network and Pirates Charities.Happiness, sadness, anger and anxiety — all different emotions that are difficult to deal with, especially at a young age.”There’s a lot of behavioral health incidents like school dropouts, and anxiety, and stress and different mental health struggles that students have been dealing with,” said Leah Ackman, a behavioral health school educator.Students are learning how important their mental health is in a fun way, thanks to the Chill Mobile. Inside a giant RV, students are transported to outer space, where they relax and learn different coping strategies.”The first one that we teach is usually deep breathing techniques, just so that they can help relax and reset their body in a useful way when they’re feeling big emotions,” Ackman said.”We’re not always happy, so how do we handle those other emotions so that we can learn? We know when kids come to school, if they have all this extra emotion in them, they’re not going to be able to learn how to work,” school principal Justin Liberatore said.The “chill” experience does not stop at the recreational vehicle. AHN and Pirates Charities gave each teacher a box full of materials to create their own chill corner. All of this is to help set students up to succeed.”It’s OK to not be OK, and that shows us that emotions are normal,” Ackman told students who visited Chill Mobile.”The earlier we can have students understand that it’s OK to feel these ways, but how do we handle them (and) how do we express it in the right way, we can get them on the right path,” Liberatore said.Chill Mobile will be back two more times this school year, for a week each time. It will also go to Gill Hall Elementary.
PLEASANT HILLS, Pa. —
McClellan Elementary students in the West Jefferson Hills School District are learning to manage their emotions through the “Chill Mobile” program from Allegheny Health Network and Pirates Charities.
Happiness, sadness, anger and anxiety — all different emotions that are difficult to deal with, especially at a young age.
“There’s a lot of behavioral health incidents like school dropouts, and anxiety, and stress and different mental health struggles that students have been dealing with,” said Leah Ackman, a behavioral health school educator.
Students are learning how important their mental health is in a fun way, thanks to the Chill Mobile. Inside a giant RV, students are transported to outer space, where they relax and learn different coping strategies.
“The first one that we teach is usually deep breathing techniques, just so that they can help relax and reset their body in a useful way when they’re feeling big emotions,” Ackman said.
“We’re not always happy, so how do we handle those other emotions so that we can learn? We know when kids come to school, if they have all this extra emotion in them, they’re not going to be able to learn how to work,” school principal Justin Liberatore said.
The “chill” experience does not stop at the recreational vehicle. AHN and Pirates Charities gave each teacher a box full of materials to create their own chill corner. All of this is to help set students up to succeed.
“It’s OK to not be OK, and that shows us that emotions are normal,” Ackman told students who visited Chill Mobile.
“The earlier we can have students understand that it’s OK to feel these ways, but how do we handle them (and) how do we express it in the right way, we can get them on the right path,” Liberatore said.
Chill Mobile will be back two more times this school year, for a week each time. It will also go to Gill Hall Elementary.