Leah Pells is learning alongside her students this first week of school as she moves from being a teacher and part-time counsellor to her new job as a full-time counsellor working at two Tri-City middle schools.
Pells, a former Olympic runner, is used to challenging situations but she admits the transition is both nerve-wracking and exciting. To help her make the adjustment is Smokey, a five-year-old black lab who has been trained as a canine assist intervention dog.
Smokey is such a draw, he quickly has a crowd of fans surrounding him. One teacher even bends to greet him face to face and is greeted with a lick.
"He's so calm, he just relaxes everyone," says Pells as she takes Smokey on her first official stroll through Como Lake middle school in Coquitlam.
This is the school's second dog trained by the Pacific Assistance Dog Society, which prepares dogs for various roles, including canine assist intervention dogs (CAI) for professionals, such as teachers, nurses, police officers and others who work with people in challenging situations.
He should be a big help this week as students adjust to new routines, Pells says, noting that students who wouldn't normally seek help will connect with Smokey.
And if they come to her office, they'll get the Smokey treatment, which is to be squished into the corner of the couch and licked before Smokey drops his large, heavy head on their lap for the duration of the visit.
"He seems to know what kids need an extra bit of loving," Pells said.
Relaxed, the students are ready to face their day.
TECH TALK
Technology may be the culprit behind the increasing rates of stress and anxiety among students, and Pells says students are virtually leashed to their devices, constantly connected to their peers, which causes worry. On top of that, they stay up late using social networks and playing games, then struggle through their days with less than optimum amounts of sleep.
"Kids are not as rested as they once were."
Add to this homework and the constant scheduling of sports and other events, and students, especially those who aren't as resilient as others, may struggle.
Children can learn to calm down and re-focus but parents need to show them the way. September is the perfect time to practice mindful techniques for dealing with stress, and here are Pells' top tips:
SUGGESTIONS FOR REDUCING ANXIETY
• Turn off devices an hour before bedtime to promote sleep. Encourage reading in bed to calm the mind.
• Promote good nutrition and exercise to help the body deal with stress.
• Practise calming breathing techniques — breathing out can slow down the central nervous system. Practise this when your child is calm, not when they are already anxious and upset.
• Model calm and present behaviour — put the cell phone down or away when you are engaged with your children.
• When they are worried and upset, acknowledge their concerns, don't dismiss them, and encourage them to focus on things that are going well, such as times when they successfully dealt with challenges in the past.
• Know when to seek professional help — i.e., when your child's anxieties are preventing them from their normal life and activities.
RESOURCES FOR TEENS, PARENTS
• www.mindcheck.ca: Provides information about stress and anxiety, and ways to deal with them.
• teencrisisconnection.com (for the Tri-Cities): Includes phone numbers, websites and resources for dealing with issues and crises.
• www.heretohelp.bc.ca: Self-screening tests, information sheets, links for help with back-to-school anxiety.
• Tri-Cities Youth Clinic (200-205 Newport Dr., Port Moody, 604-614-7688) is open Wednesdays 3:30 to 7 p.m. It services people up to age 21: emergency contraception, birth control, STI/HIV testing and treatment, pregnancy testing and counselling, smoking cessation, stress counselling immunization, nutrition information and general health information.
• Fraser Health also has information at fraserhealth.ca/
