Rockford — A free virtual workshop on how to manage anxiety will be presented by Rockford Public Schools, in collaboration with Pine Rest, from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3.
The workshop is open to the public and can be accessed through Microsoft Teams here. It will be led by a licensed Pine Rest clinician, and will focus primarily on addressing worry and anxiety among elementary-age students, said Larinda Fase, Rockford’s director of special programs.
“Worry and anxiety seem to be on the rise among our youngest learners. We see it in our schools. …They’re just seeing a lot more of this bubble to the service,” Fase said. “We want to start addressing this anxiety and worry early so we can foster healthier emotional development.”
Early identification and management of anxiety is critical for healthy student development, Fase said. If left unaddressed, excessive worry can follow a student through their academic career and negatively impact their academic performance and overall well-being.
Fase said the presentation is a result of a school assistance program partnership between the district and Pine Rest, which also provides free counseling sessions for students and their families.
The Feb. 3 workshop will focus on differentiating between normal and excessive levels of worry. Tactics for addressing and limiting the impact of anxiety will also be discussed, as will the potential impacts of unhealthy levels of anxiety on school life.
“When children are anxious, they may resist going to school and when they’re at school they might struggle with school-related tasks,” Fase said.
The workshop follows a Jan. 29 presentation on eating disorders.
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