For the past several years, there has been a lot of discussion about the impact of the pandemic on kids' social skills and mental health. In education circles, we have discussed the pandemic's effect on students' academic skills as well as their social development. As shutdowns, online learning, and daily mask protocols have drifted into distant memory, recent patterns fell into line with longer trends starting earlier than 2020. The increase in anxiety among adolescents began long before the pandemic, steadily increasing since the introduction of smartphones in 2007. Adolescents' decreased mental wellness and social confidence/competence have been steadily worsening since the decade prior, as the Millenial generation gave way to Gen Z in schools. Over the past year, these topics have moved into the cultural conversation more and more, thanks in no small part to Jonathan Haidt's popular book, The Anxious Generation . You may have heard of it and it may even be on ...
Five quick items from South to wrap up your week! SOUTH PTO The PTO meets next Tuesday, 1/14, at 7pm in the South Library/Media Center. Agenda will be sent next week. Join the PTO Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/southmiddleptogroup Follow PTO on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southmiddlepto SOUTH BASKETBALL Monday's basketball games will be held at East Middle School; the boys tip off at 3: 15 and the girls' game plans to begin at 4:30, immediately following the boys' game. We encourage students & families to attend the games and give our players a true fan experience. It is essential to ensure a safe & enjoyable gameday experience for all players and spectators in attendance, so fans are expected to demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times. All spectators must adhere to our Fan Code of Conduct , and the MIAA Taunting Policy . Students in attendance are reminded that the school's Code of Conduct applies to...