Dear Parents and Guardians,
As we move through the school year, I want to take a moment to address an important topic that impacts every child at Connally Junior High: mental health. The junior high years, filled with so much growth and change, can be both exciting and challenging for our students. These are the years where friendships deepen, identities form, and pressures from both school and social life can sometimes feel overwhelming.
It's normal for students at this age to experience a wide range of emotions. They're navigating new academic responsibilities, peer relationships, and physical changes, all while trying to figure out where they fit in the world. Anxiety about grades, fitting in socially, and handling peer conflicts are common, and it's important we all work together to support them.
Supporting Mental Health
Here are a few things we can do together to help our students cope:
Encourage Open Communication: Let your child know it's okay to talk about how they feel. Whether it's stress about schoolwork, friendships, or something else, they need to feel heard and supported.
Set Realistic Expectations: Junior high can be a tough adjustment academically and socially. Helping students prioritize their time and reminding them that it's okay not to be perfect can alleviate pressure.
Monitor Social Media Use: Social media can be a source of stress for many students at this age. Being mindful of how much time they're spending online and the types of interactions they're having can help mitigate negative effects.
Recognize Signs of Stress: If your child seems withdrawn, irritable, or overwhelmed, these could be signs that they're struggling. Offering a supportive environment at home and reaching out to school counselors can make a huge difference.
Understanding Bullying vs. Conflict
Many parents have questions about what constitutes bullying and what is simply a conflict or disagreement between peers. At Connally Junior High, we take bullying very seriously, especially under David's Law, which aims to protect students from bullying both in person and online.
Under David’s Law, bullying is defined as a pattern of behavior that intentionally harms or intimidates another student, whether through physical, verbal, or electronic means (cyberbullying). Bullying typically involves an imbalance of power and happens repeatedly over time. If a student is being targeted in this way, it is considered bullying and requires immediate attention from the school.
However, it’s also important to recognize that not all disagreements or hurtful interactions qualify as bullying. At this age, students are learning how to manage conflicts, and sometimes they will have arguments, misunderstandings, or say things out of frustration. These situations, while they may be upsetting, don’t always meet the criteria for bullying. Our goal is to help students develop healthy communication skills and learn how to resolve conflicts constructively.
If you have concerns about your child's well-being or behavior, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to partner with you in ensuring that Connally Junior High is a safe, supportive, and positive place for all students.
Thank you for your continued support!
