The Bridge between Happy Families and Healthy Communities
We have been able to implement a number of strategies already into our school, including yoga, sensory-integration techniques, emotional expression through art, and creative relaxation through breathing and visualization.
Maria Montessori advocated the critical importance of early childhood development. We recognize this in the structure of her philosophy in classrooms and in life outside school walls. Fueled by this main tenet, Robin Johnson, Director of River Song School in Bend, Oregon, has made it her mission to support the youngest members of her community. River Song School has recently piloted a whole-child wellness initiative called Happy Families. This program is targeting the primary age group (3-6 years old) of children in the community of Bend and stressing the importance of early screening on the facets of behavioral, social, and physical health. During its first three years, River Song School was part of Project LAUNCH through Deschutes County to promote wellness in early childhood.
Through Project LAUNCH, a specialist was engaged in observation of our classrooms and subsequent consultation with teachers. The observations provided information and training for classroom teachers on handling individual differences or challenges that arose. This project turned into a catalyst for Happy Families’ inception and bringing River Song School into the community to raise awareness for early-childhood healthcare. It is no coincidence that the first developmental plane is also the most crucial period in which to recognize and treat mental or physical health challenges.
The staff at River Song School has found that there is a local deficit in programming, screening, and intervention resources available to preschoolers in an educational setting. Although there is a basic screening system available, the follow-through and support during the process of referral is limited. As well, the community resources for pediatric behavioral health are in such great demand that there are waiting lists and limits to availability. Any intervention or services that do exist tend to be reserved for children at infant and toddler age and at the elementary school age of five to six years old.
Many of our students attend River Song School, beginning at age three until kindergarten or first grade and then move to public school. Because this may be their first experience in an academic setting, it is often where behavior or social problems are initially displayed. By providing Happy Families at our school, we are proactively targeting this age group before they make the transition elsewhere. If we can do behavioral health screenings early on, our hope is that unnecessary diagnosis may be avoided and the potential to help in areas of challenge can be done sooner. It seems that once children come out of the primary stage, they can more easily become overlooked for individual differences and needs.
The basic structure of Happy Families will involve continuing partnerships with other nonprofits in the community that work with this age group and families. We will be establishing a network of professionals in the mental and physical health fields that are able to provide screening and referral at a low cost. Beyond screening, the referrals we make will direct families to the proper personnel to help with issues they may have. The staff at River Song School is highly skilled and trained, but adding Happy Families training will further establish a safety net around the students.
River Song is fortunate to have parents that are specialists in the field of mental health and are dedicated to cultivating the concept even more. We have been able to implement a number of strategies already into our school, including yoga, sensory-integration techniques, emotional expression through art, and creative relaxation through breathing and visualization.
River Song School has been approached many times by families seeking academics for their preschool student who may require additional support. Because Montessori education is conducive to children with individual needs, we believe that supporting the whole person with Happy Families will create the most success in and out of school. Happy Families was born out of the belief that children should thrive mentally and physically in school while enjoying their education.
Based on this foundation, the pieces of our initiative have been built. We have two parents of River Song School graduates who are also mental health specialists and have contributed to the implementation of Happy Families. With the help of these parent volunteers, River Song has created “soft landing pads” in each of our three classrooms, where students can bring their bodies to rest and prepare themselves to work. In those areas are small reminders of peace, such as calming pictures, hand-held fidgets, and stress-reduction items. We have seen such a positive response from the children, as they often go on their own to sit for a short time and be restful.
Another related component to Happy Families is River Song’s involvement in The Dalai Lama Foundation’s Peace Curriculum, which teaches compassion, peace, and living a meditative life. Through The Dalai Lama Foundation, we were fortunate to receive a visit from The Monks of Gaden Shartse Dokhang Monastery in June 2014 on their tour promoting the spread of peace. The children were able to share their peace song and be witness to the Monks chanting and praying for world peace.
River Song School is proud to share our wellness initiative, Happy Families. We feel that there is no better opportunity to encourage this type of early childhood program than in the Montessori tradition. Combining the safe structure of education while targeting basic needs will result in healthier children. As we nurture younger populations into healthy living and whole wellness by natural progression, our communities become stronger and healthier as well. Our hope with the Happy Families Initiative is to be a model for other schools to bring this whole child healthcare strategy into their own environment.
Tomorrow’s Child / November 2014 / p 32
