TYLER, Texas — The beginning of a new school year is a stressful time for almost everyone. Meeting your new teachers, finding where your classes are and dealing with the car pool lanes are enough to give anyone anxiety. Add in a pandemic, virtual classes, and around the clock mask wearing, and you can definitely see why parents and students alike, would be more stressed than usual this year.
"More than anything they're showing it, you know, just it's very difficult for the kids so far to adjust to wearing the masks masks all day or in close quarters," Adrienne McDonald, counselor at Orr Elementary School, said. "You know, the kids are so resilient. A lot of it's more the parents than anything."
Parents trying to juggle work and the prospect of virtual learning can also cause a challenging time. That's why Orr Elementary, like many local schools, are making sure that both parents' and students' mental health is taken care of.
"They can come see us or or call us on the phone," McDonald said. "We can have virtual appointments with them."
The elementary school is even offering virtual appointments for students and family members who are participating in distance learning.
"We have this new education program for online learning for our students, and it's called Canvas," McDonald said. "And so we are setting up guidance lessons and social emotional learning through that. I know that right now, the parents are so bombarded, I guess with trying to learn the system and such and so they're trying to get their academics done, but we also want to stress the importance of the social emotional learning. So we have we are making this available online."
Parents can set up a virtual appointment through Canvas or call the school to speak with a counselor.
Tyler ISD has a social and emotional plan available on their website along with details of their entire back to school plan.