All Districts — With graduation just six months away, Lee High senior Jaylynn Madison recognizes the pressure of figuring out what comes next after high school.
“I’m so scared that I’m not going to know what to do,” Jaylynn said. “I know that’s a very big factor with a lot of people at my school. They’re like, ‘Do I have enough clubs on my transcripts? Are my test scores good enough? Is my college essay going to get me in?’
“It’s a very big stress factor, especially once you hit 11th and 12th grade.”
Jaylynn was speaking as part of a panel of Kent County students who shared their thoughts and feelings about what it’s like to be a high-school student with about 300 educators and community members during Kent ISD’s “Listen. Learn. Lead: State of the Student” event at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Now in its third year, the event is designed to showcase student voices to help further the conversation about challenges districts face in educating students. This year’s event was led by the Student Leadership Community members.
Kenowa Hills junior Chay’ce Smith said they narrowed their list of topics to four: belonging, school safety, engagement and mental health. Each discussion began with a video featuring Student Leadership Community members discussing the topic, followed by a four-person student panel led by a student moderator.
‘I think today was a great opportunity to see how our students are doing, but also (to ask), what can we do better to better support our students, especially in the school environment.’
— Grand Rapids parent Dondrea Brown
Sense of Belonging
The students noted that there is a difference between being included and feeling a part of a group.
“When you’re in (a) school project, being included means that you know you’re all collaborating and you’re working together,” explained East Grand Rapids junior Zoe Cunningham, “but belonging means that you have that connection and you feel like you are an important part of that group that you’re in. And then you really feel like you guys can collaborate on a different level.”
Panelists discussed how schools have fostered a sense of belonging through initiatives like student ambassador programs, which assist new students, as well as efforts by individual teachers to connect with their students. They also highlighted opportunities for student involvement in programs like “Listen. Learn. Lead.”
School Safety
Panelists said they feel safe in their schools, but also think schools could do more. All agreed that a key factor in making a school feel safe was building strong relationships both with staff and other students, as well as staff taking the time to get to know their students. Cedar Springs senior Alondra Gutierrez said having those connections makes it easier for students to talk about what is happening in their school.
“It goes a lot back to the whole ball game of making sure people feel like they belong,” said East Kentwood junior Kayd Coffman. “I remember that the FBI did a thing that they said was the most common (factor) when they looked at school shooters was the ‘loner.’ … So, make sure people belong.”
Engagement
Students shared how teachers have incorporated techniques to engage students such as having them share something from their day and getting them actively involved with the content through role playing and technology. Jaylynn said the more students feel welcomed and understood, the safer they feel to share their opinions and thoughts.
“I don’t think engagement is necessarily about the grades that people are getting, and I don’t think that’s an accurate representation of how engaged people are,” said Forest Hills Central senior Ellison Durkin. “I think it’s more about how much do people feel like they deserve to come and learn every day, and how much they actually want to be a part of the classroom.”
Mental Health
Panelists agreed that the stigma surrounding mental health causes many students to avoid seeking help. They identified factors such as grades, time management and home life as sources of stress. Additionally, Jaylynn mentioned that some students struggle to share their challenges with their parents because their parents may have had fewer opportunities growing up.
Having a supportive community, along with someone who can encourage students to take a step back when things aren’t going as planned, are important, they said. And extracurricular activities not only give students a chance to express themselves, but have also connected them to resources that help manage stress.
“I think part of this whole issue of mental health and how we can help deal with that really does tie back into extracurricular activities and the communities around them,” said Forest Hills Central senior Jake Barnes. “When we can give those different groups resources so that they can be successful and really unite a group of students, I think that’s really important. Those groups are spaces … where mental health just starts to get better because students are meeting with each other.”
The Community Is Listening
Northview senior Rory Morter, a member of the Student Leadership Committee, was in the audience and said he saw how the topics impacted others who attended.
“Every one of the aspects that we touched on tied in somewhat to the community,” Rory said. “So the importance of the teachers and the administration in a school, as well as the students, is having that community and encouraging students to engage with their teachers and their resources to further all these different elements of their education.”
Forest Hills parent Emily Durkin, whose daughter Ellison took part in the panel discussions, shared her perspective on the challenges parents face.
“I think the biggest thing for me was the social aspect,” Durkin said, noting that the first response to a student who gets into trouble often is to ground them. “(T)hat’s taking that social connection away, and I think what we really learned today is that social connection and that feeling of belonging, it is their mental health. That is what matters to their mental health.”
Grand Rapids parent Dondrea Brown said he thought the event gave insight to the needs of students, and the ways the community can offer support.
“There are many times where we’re in spaces and we’re trying to, as parents, as leaders in the community, decide what’s best for our students, which means sometimes we don’t always take the opportunity to listen to our students,” Brown said. “So, I think today was a great opportunity to see how our students are doing, but also (ask), what can we do better to better support our students, especially in the school environment.”
Read more:
• U.S. Rep Scholten weighs in on national issues affecting local schools
• Four years after the pandemic, chronic absenteeism still a problem
