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Student advisory council presents mental‑health work, welcome kits and mentorship plans
Summary
Student advisory council members outlined this year’s projects — welcome kits for new students, peer mentorship research, survey input and a series of mental‑health forums — and urged the district to expand advisory time, mentorship and community activities to address student stress and isolation.
Students on the Arlington School District Student Advisory Council (SAC) presented their year’s work to the board on May 25, describing concrete projects and next‑year plans aimed at improving student belonging and mental health.
Nicholas Blakein (SAC member) and senior representatives described two principal initiatives: a welcome‑kit program to greet students new to the high school and Weston (handouts with club lists, contact info and small tokens), and a mentorship research effort to identify ways the district can offer peer supports within existing programs. The students said mentorship ideas frequently require funding, so the council focused on options that could operate within current resources.
Students also summarized the mental‑health forums the district has held — three events in the recent year that included students, staff and community partners. Common concerns surfaced at the forums and at SAC meetings: academic workload and stress, shrinking support systems, peer interactions and isolation, and nicotine and marijuana use. Students urged adults to listen, offer mentorship, connect students to resources and create more safe weekend activities.
“I felt like I really wanted something to welcome me to the school,” one student said explaining why the welcome kits were created. Nicholas Blakein described how SAC reviewed district survey questions to make them clearer and more useful for students and families.
SAC members also highlighted peer‑to‑peer training activities, ASB card content produced with community partner funding, and the group’s outreach to middle schoolers as a way to ease transition into high school. Board members thanked students for their presentations and noted the value of student voice in shaping district programs.
What’s next: Students said the council will continue mentorship work next year, expand advisory time suggestions and explore joint mental‑health events with neighboring districts.
Provenance: Topic introduced at SEG 544 and concluded at SEG 1170.
