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Cohasset students describe high stress and urge excused mental-health days after 'CMM' event
Summary
Safe Harbor youth leaders told the Cohasset School Committee about a recent mental-health awareness day and survey results showing many students report moderate to very high stress; presenters said students want academic flexibility, better coordination of tests and access to counseling, with excused mental-health days the top request.
Students with the Safe Harbor youth ambassadors program presented to the Cohasset School Committee on June 3 about this year’s Capacitive Minds Matter (CMM) day and survey results, saying the event gave middle- and high-school students a chance to step outside, learn coping skills and connect with mental-health resources.
Dominique Beckyola, a Safe Harbor youth leader, summarized the survey and highlighted the most requested supports: “The number one like requested thing was excused absence for mental-health days,” she said, adding that students also asked for better coordination of major tests and projects, more deadline flexibility and greater access to counseling.
Presenters described CMM as a short, resource-centered day with stations including yoga, therapy animals, bracelet-making and yard games. They said annual partner groups like Plymouth County Suicide Prevention and school counselors staffed resource tables and that students responded positively: roughly one-third reported CMM was “very helpful” and more than a quarter found it “extremely helpful.”
Committee members thanked the students and district staff for organizing the event. Principal Scott said conversations are ongoing about how excused absences for mental-health reasons would intersect with Department of Elementary and Secondary Education rules and that the administration and students are continuing to discuss workable policies.
The committee did not take a formal vote on absence policy at the meeting but invited Safe Harbor students and administrators to return when recommendations are more developed.
