Dunlace PS has a Kindness Club. Newtonbrook SS has a Mental Health Committee. At Lambton-Kingsway JMS, staff connect about improving student engagement. At George B. Little PS, the youth wellness committee created a wellness mural to raise awareness about emotions and the right to express them.

These are just some of the ways schools are focusing on student mental health and well-being.

Good mental health and well-being are central to student success. It includes our emotions, our thoughts and feelings, our ability to solve problems and overcome difficulties, our social connections, and our understanding of the world around us. Students feel a greater sense of well-being when they are engaged and feel that they belong, feel safe and feel included.

Students need our collective support to be healthy individuals and, the relationship that students have with each other and adults is an important part of that. Every student needs peers and a caring adult they can connect with, feel accepted by and talk to when dealing with life’s challenges. And, research tells us that as students age, their emotional well-being declines.

Students’ voices need to be at the centre of the discussion about how to improve their well-being. When students and parents become involved in this process they are more likely to develop of a sense of agency, build positive relationships and connection with staff as they become active participants in their own schooling experiences.

TDSB staff are committed to providing welcoming, safe and inclusive learning environments where every student feels they belong. We are working hard to strengthen the adult-student connection and make meaningful decisions that support student achievement and well-being.

Read more about students’ well-being through our 2017 Student and Parent Census.

Learn more about mental health and well-being initiatives in the TDSB.