A lot of students struggling with their mental health, which in some cases has started to affect how students are doing in school. At Bowie, students should have the option to attend a mental health service class where they are welcome to talk about how they feel and what’s going on in their life. 

I believe that this option for students is a great idea because mental health isn’t being talked about enough at school. I think if students felt like they had the option to go to this mental health service, more students would and hopefully improve on their mental health. 

I think that if students went to the mental health services offered to them, students could improve on themselves and increase their self-worth. 

This mental health service class should be an option because it would allow students to feel welcome and comfortable. It would also allow the students to feel like they are in a safe environment where they can talk to someone about how they feel and try to create solutions. 

Students could create a schedule where they can plan out and keep track of things. If students then start to keep track of their schedule and stay on top of things, it will increase their mental health by staying organized. 

The only issue that might be here is if this opportunity is offered, some students might overuse it to have an excuse to get out of regular classes. If this mental health service was an option for students to use, it would have to be for serious reasons, and not just to be a way to get out of another class. Students who would not follow the plans, or were not engaging with their plan and solution would be removed from the class.

I think the way to make this work is to bring together teachers, student leaders, and administration to find a place and time for this class to happen during the school day. This can be a first step to show the student body where they can find mental health solutions.  

More support could come from outside the school by getting the parents of students involved by talking to the staff at the school to help set it up, possibly with the financial part of this service, for example donations. 

Mental health is really important, especially during high school since more students are being affected by it. If the school could give this option to students, it could possibly improve and increase students’ mental health. This option would give students a chance to have a safe space where they are comfortable to talk about how they feel.