As we start the new school year, our communities are filled with Joy at the possibility of the return of extracurricular activities. The many social events in our schools and workplaces signify that we are starting to return to a normal routine.
OCSB’s Strategic Commitments
Be Well, Be Innovative and Be Community continue to act as a guiding light to our students, staff and parents. Resilience, faith, and Deep Learning practices helped us come together over the past two years to overcome the challenges the pandemic brought our way. By supporting one another, we provided nurturing environments where innovation, wellness and community thrived.
Guidance from the OCSB Mental Health Lead
COVID-19 is not over. We are on the road to recovery, but some still are impacted by its effects. OCSB’s Mental Health and Well-Being Lead, Dr. Richard Bolduc, will continue to share helpful content throughout the 2022-2023 school year to help students, their families and our staff.
If you’re interested in reading some of Dr. Richard Bolduc’s past blogs, here’s a list to help you get started:
- Start with Empathy and Go from There
- How to talk to your child in tough times – Mental Health Minute
- Mental Health Minute by Dr. Richard Bolduc
What Can You Do To Help?
Look for #ocsbMentalHealthMonday on our social media accounts this year!
Empathy is a great place to start, and you can also share useful resources, motivational quotes and messages that bring Joy on social media with the hashtag #ocsbMentalHealthMonday.
Organizations that Support Mental Health
School Mental Health Ontario provides helpful resources for students and educators. Check out Mentally Healthy Back to School Support package.
Ottawa Public Health provides resources to help support mental wellness on its website.
1Call1Click helps children, youth and families connect with mental health and addiction services.
The Ottawa Child and Youth Initiative (OCYI) hosts regular Just Ask events on the Parenting in Ottawa Facebook page. These events aim to answer parent questions on various topics and partner with experts from Ottawa-based organizations to offer insights.
The Royal Ottawa hosts a variety of mental health-related events throughout the year. You can stay in the loop on upcoming events at their website.