Scott Middle School students are collecting academic, social and health benefits from a series of calming tools that have been introduced on campus.

School counselors Kate Pittack, Amber Cownie, Shauna Green and Liseth Herrera have spearheaded the use of “In the Moment” calming tools in classrooms this year. The coping strategies have helped many Stars reduce their anxiety levels, remain composed in stressful situations and improve their academic performance.

Pittack and Cownie said the calming tools have given students many healthy options to regulate their emotions. They have been pleased with how the Stars have incorporated the new skills into classroom, playground and school activity settings. They felt those lessons would benefit them both now and in the future.

“The number one positive is that students are using these ‘In the Moment’ calming tool kits to remain in class, leading to less time out of class,” Pittack said. “It has provided a building-wide language to help students feel empowered to use these calming skills in a safe, supportive environment.”

“It’s a life skill,” Cownie said. “Learning how to cope is something you’re always going to need in life. If you’re at a job, you can’t just leave the environment if you need a break, so what are things you can do in the here and now? That’s why we feel these are really important for students to know.”

LPS School Counseling Supervisor Lori Hemmett said the “In the Moment” calming tools are part of a wide range of life skills strategies offered at all LPS buildings. The tool kits are available at all 12 middle schools through a recent grant that the school district received.

The techniques are designed to help students settle their bodies and thoughts when stressful or upsetting things happen. Scott’s team is focusing on simple-but-effective solutions such as breathing techniques, “Count to Calm” activities and Mindful STOP (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) strategies.

Members of the school’s trauma-informed restorative practices (TIRP) team complete observations in multiple areas of the building each year. They make recommendations to staff on how to create and foster an environment that is trauma-aware and informed.

The TIRP team’s data revealed that students with support plans would benefit from skills connected to in-class self-regulation. The school counselors felt this was an important need to address throughout the campus, and they began looking for solutions they could provide to everyone.

“We saw this as an area where skills needed to be taught,” Pittack said. “We wanted to provide a tool and common language that staff could use within their classroom to help students regulate their emotions and stay in class.”

Pittack, Cownie and Green visited 12 sections of sixth grade Humanities classes and 26 sections of seventh and eighth grade Health this past fall. They spoke with hundreds of Stars about different ways to use the techniques. Herrera provided 19 students with individual instruction about the tool kit, and the entire team shared flashcards, slides and tool kits with staff members to supply in their classrooms.

Eileen Lindgren said those efforts have already made a major difference. Lindgren oversees Scott’s in-school suspension (ISS) program, which helps students who need extra support and structure before returning to their main classrooms. She has posted a list of calming suggestions on the walls of the ISS room and provides Stars with flashcards during their discussions.

“The students use them every class period when the bell rings so they will have tools and resources to use to calm down their nervous system,” Lindgren said. “The tools assist the students to reset their brain to think and be ready to learn.”

Lindgren said the first-semester results have been encouraging on many fronts.

“For the classroom environment, the students feel safe, seen and supported, which, in my opinion, leads to improved academic performance and behavior,” Lindgren said. “The majority of students who use the tools have not returned to the ISS room, which is an awesome achievement.”

Green and Cownie said teachers have reported similar outcomes. The school counseling team has heard stories about students using flashcards to reduce stress either during assignments or before tests. Teachers have also watched Stars glance at bulletin boards that contain calming ideas.

“Because it’s a schoolwide program, teachers can say, ‘Do you use the calming tools?’ or ‘Can we get you a set of cards?’” Green said. “It’s been a really good thing.”

“There are a lot of teachers who are totally on board, which is awesome,” Cownie said.

Scott’s team has also shared the idea with community partners such as therapists and family counselors. Cownie said the outside stakeholders have appreciated the daily work that is being done inside Scott’s building.

“When we partner with them, we can say, ‘Yes, we see this student. This is what we provide them at school.’ And they’re really pleased with that,” Cownie said.

Pittack said the calming options have become an integral part of the school counseling team’s strategy for helping all Stars succeed.

“The other day I was talking with a student about being anxious, and she gave an example of a strategy she was using,” Pittack said. “It was a new elective they had moved into at the semester, and they were experiencing stress because it was a new class that they were starting and it was a different environment to them. We referenced the calming tools, and it seemed to help her a lot.”

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Liseth Herrera, a school counselor at Scott Middle School, shows a calming tools flashcard to a student at a table.

Scott students benefiting from new calming tools on campus