PEABODY — The Peabody Education Foundation, as part of the Mental Wellness Initiative it implemented two years ago, has launched a new elementary school initiative designed to help students calm down, think, and reflect when they are feeling anxious or emotional.
PEF said Think Spaces — small areas in each classroom — are now located in a majority of the elementary school classrooms across the Peabody School district and will be in full use by Sept. 1.
Think Spaces help address the social-emotional needs of students. The areas are equipped with comfortable furniture, emotions posters, strategy ideas, and fidget tools.
“The objective of this initiative is to keep students in their classrooms so they can still hear and be exposed to the material that is being taught,” said McCarthy Elementary School Adjustment Counselor Maria Champigny, who wrote the grant application. “Additionally, students will not feel singled-out by leaving their classroom when they need to access social-emotional learning strategies and tools. The goal is to design a small area of every classroom with the tools students need to be calm, think, reflect, learn, and ultimately thrive.”
The initiative to add Think Spaces to each classroom came about as school adjustment counselors looked across the district to find common needs in schools. Counselors learned that students needed a space to regroup their thoughts and feelings before returning to schoolwork.
Adding a Think Space to every classroom will make accessing such spaces more convenient and less stigmatizing for children.
The J.B. Thomas–Lahey Foundation generously funded this program in its entirety. Foundation Chair Dr. Jeffrey Marxt said the “J.B. Thomas–Lahey Foundation is pleased to provide support for this very important initiative. Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children.”
PEF Chairman and President David Gravel said the the Mental Wellness Initiative has been a huge focus of the Peabody Education Foundation over the past two years.
“We will continue to work with the Peabody School Department to identify resources and materials that will assist our students, teachers, and parents in dealing with these issues,” said Gravel. We truly appreciate the assistance of J.B. Thomas–Lahey Foundation, a great community partner, in addressing the needs of our schools.”
Superintendent Dr. Josh Vadala said he is grateful for the work of the school adjustment counselors in identifying and addressing student needs, and for the many agencies that support the Peabody community, such as the PEF and the J.B. Thomas-Lahey Foundation.
“The collaboration of staff and outside agencies has enabled our district to develop and grow, and this is a great example of how that collaboration can help move our school and community forward,” he said.
Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services Dr. Mark Higgins said the PEF and the J.B. Thomas-Lahey Foundation “have been thoughtful and generous partners in the district’s work to support the social-emotional health of all of our students. This grant will promote the self-regulation strategies of all students in an inclusive setting. Consistent implementation across all of our schools will have a positive impact on the learning community in each classroom.”
The Mental Wellness Initiative is sponsored by the Peabody Education Foundation, Waugh-Lyon Auto Group, North Shore Bank, the JB Thomas-Lahey Foundation, and the GraVoc Charitable Foundation. The PEF launched the initiative several years ago to benefit students, teachers, and parents, providing reading materials, motivational speakers, and other resources to help Peabody schools deal with the mental health issues that have escalated during the past few years due to COVID, as well as those issues that continue to challenge schools every day.
Anyone interested in contributing to this Initiative can do so by visiting https://www.peabodyedfoundation.org/contribute/.
More information regarding the Mental Wellness Initiative can be found on the Peabody Education Foundation website at https://peabodyedfoundation.org/ or by contacting PEF President and Chairman David Gravel at 978-538-9055 x114.
