Sayville district highlights mental-health supports, partnerships and student voice

The Sayville Union Free School District on Monday heard a detailed presentation from its Pupil Personnel Services office about districtwide mental-health and anti-bullying work, including staffing, program integration with curriculum and long-term community partnerships.

Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services Miss Julian Mris led the presentation and said the district's approach emphasizes prevention and sustained relationships rather than one-off assemblies. "Every child is one caring adult away from being a success story," she said, stressing the district's emphasis on trusted adults, cross-building collaboration and routine follow-up small-group work after larger events.

Mris gave concrete staffing numbers for PPS supports: two social workers and a psychologist at both the middle and high school levels; a social worker and a psychologist at each elementary school; four guidance counselors at the high school and three at the middle school. She said the staffing and programming are intended to be…