Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Menlo Atherton wellness staff honored for grief and mental-health support
Summary
The board recognized the Menlo Atherton High School PAWS (Peace and Wellness) staff and therapy dog Ginger for their role supporting students and staff through two recent losses; superintendent and principal highlighted counselling, outreach and partnerships with community grief resources.
Superintendent Leach and Principal Carl Luszkoot recognized Menlo Atherton High School’s PAWS (Peace and Wellness) team for crisis response and ongoing social-emotional support following the loss of a student and a staff member this year.
Superintendent Leach introduced the recognition and said the honored staff have shown “dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment” to students and staff. Principal Luszkoot described the team’s work: welcoming students into the wellness center, coordinating small-group support, pulling in community partners such as CARA Grief and Children’s Health Council, and offering in-class and individualized follow-up. Luszkoot named Johanna Sanchez Contreras, Shonda Nickerson, Edith Bennett, Stephen Emme and therapy dog Ginger as members of the team.
Luszkoot and Leach said the team helped with immediate communication to families, attended parent meetings, and provided grief counselors and a therapy dog on campus, which officials and students credited with helping the school community navigate difficult moments. The board and attendees joined in thanking the staff and invited them forward for a group photo.
The recognition was ceremonial; no board action was required.
