Health and Wellness » Student Resources

Student Resources

  • Youth Stabilization, Opportunity, and Support (SOS) Team: 650-579-0350.The Youth S.O.S. team is designed to respond to children and youth ages 0-25 that are experiencing an escalation of mental and behavioral health symptoms (such as suicidal ideation/intent, self-injurious behaviors, undiagnosed mental health disorders, etc). The team will prioritize current or former foster youth as well as community sites (like schools) that have limited mental health resources.
  • Multitiered System of Support: This framework is a comprehensive 4 tiered model that ensures that all students' needs are being met; from outreach and prevention, to supporting students who would benefit from increased resources and support, this model offers wrap-around services and supports the schools' ability to identify students with higher needs. 
    • School Culture and Climate (Tier 1 Supports): Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports, Zones of Regulation, Kelso's Choice.
    • School Counselors: The school counselors support students through academic and social-emotional support and prevention resources.  They utilize framework(s) from the American School Counselor Association and Everyday Speech to plan and implement programming and sessions. Click here to learn more about the elementary School Counselors, Ms. Wickstrom and Ms. Arasato.  Click here to get connected with the Tierra Linda and Mariposa School Counselor, Ms. Garlick.  Click here to get to know the Central and Arroyo School Counselor, Ms. Jobak.
    • Mental Health Associates: We partner with One Life Counseling Services to provide mental health services for students with second and third tier needs.  They provide individual and group support for our students.  Our School Counselors will refer students to this level of care.
    • School Psychologists: Our expansive psychologist team supports our district by providing social, emotional, and behavioral support to students as needed, as well as conducting assessments to see if they meet eligibility criteria to qualify for Special Education.  Please see your school's page to find out more about this team.
    • Here is a video series of mental health tips that you can watch together with your students, developed by some of our mental health staff.
    • Care Solace: We have a partnership with Care Solace, which will help your student, or yourself, connect with a therapist; they take out the legwork of finding a good fit for your family.
  • Social-Emotional Learning: Each school has SEL embedded into the curriculum, programs including Al's Pals (preschool), Kimochis (TK), Second Step (K-5), Sown to Grow (4-5), and a homegrown advisory program for middle school.  Students learn communication skills, emotional vocabulary, mindfulness, health education, and a wide variety of other skills.  Our District and the partners we utilize curricula from use research and evidence-based education. (CASEL's SEL Standards, CA Health Education Framework, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
  • TUPE: We have curricula in our middle schools to ensure students are learning about substance use prevention.  We have a variety of activities and lessons surrounding this, mainly based off of the Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit.  We have included information re: screens and fentanyl into our teachings, as well.
  • We also have speech pathologists and occupational therapists to support the growth and development of our students.
  • California Healthy Kids Survey: This survey is completed yearly for all students grades 3-8, and all staff and caregivers.  This helps the district learn population level needs and priorities.  You can explore the details here.
  • Nursing: We have two fantastic nurses, Susan and Jen, (you can meet them here!), who wear many hats- primarily overseeing our COVID contact tracing protocols, overseeing higher risk students, and supporting health assessments.  Please click here to explore the nursing guide to student health and safety.
  • Physical & Health Education: Health education is taught during our Physical Education classes, and in small groups.  Health education includes continued social emotional learning, sleep hygiene, nutrition, and more.  Our K-3 schools partner with Legarza Sports for PE, and this team also puts on our middle school athletic programs.
  • Health Connected: This is our Puberty Talk and Teen Talk programming that happens in upper elementary and middle schools yearly.  Caregivers are invited to a welcome session to learn more about the curriculum.
  • Nutrition: We follow California Department of Education's nutrition guidelines for our breakfast and lunch programs, as well as their guidelines re: snacks, celebrations, and bake sales.  We role model and teach nutritious eating to our students (during Legarza small groups and Advisory.)
  • Safe Routes to School: We implement Safe Routes to School Curriculum to teach our students about pedestrian and bike safety, to ensure our students get to and from school, and everywhere else they go!, safe and sound.  Please help us on this mission by reinforcing safe practices while walking, biking, scootering, and driving!
  • Big 5 Protocol: San Mateo County schools follow this protocol to ensure our entire community is prepared for any number of emergencies.  We work towards being trauma-informed with our approach in practicing these drills.
  • Air Quality: Please reference here to get to know more about air quality protocols in our district.
  • COVID: We are so thrilled to have our students back on campus, and we know they are thrilled to be back as well!  Please reference the COVID webpage for the health and safety plan, data dashboard, and FAQs.