School Counselor
Butler County has a new helpline available as of April 1. Please call if you are experiencing anxiety or a mental health issue related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They are there to help!
The Mental Health Support Line can be reached toll-free, 24/7 at 1-855-284-2494.
Supporting Your Child
Children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has offered a series of specific guidelines for parents to consider as they support their children during the COVID-19 outbreak. NASP’s resource is a helpful guide for parents to use to ease their children’s minds and educate them in a safe and thoughtful way. The full parent resource is available here.
Give your child factual, age-appropriate information about the potential seriousness of the virus. Talk with your child about their fears and teach them preventative measures to give them a sense of control over their risk of infection, which can help reduce their worries. Preventative measures include hand-washing, sneezing or coughing into their elbow, and staying home when they are sick.
Remain calm and reassuring. Make yourself available for your child’s questions and concerns. Give thoughtful, accurate answers that are appropriate for their age. Also, reassure your child of their health and that of their family; however, also be truthful in the case someone in your family becomes sick with COVID-19.
Avoid watching or listening to information that may be upsetting when your child is present. Constantly watching updates on the status of COVID-19 can increase anxiety and expose children to developmentally inappropriate information.
If your child(ren) is having difficulties as a result of anxiety or stress related to COVID-19, reach out to your child’s school counselor for guidance and support.
Talking to Kids about Coronavirus - The Child Mind Institute
General Information on Coronavirus
US Department of Education's Website/Resources on Coronavirus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the most up-to-date information on COVID-19. For updates from CDC, please see the following:
- Checklist for Parents and Teachers: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/checklist.html
- CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Web page
- CDC Frequently Asked Questions and Answers: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and Children
- What you need to know about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf
- What to do if you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/what-you-should-do.pdf
- Stop the spread of germs – help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses like COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/stop-the-spread-of-germs.pdf
Free Educational Resources for Your Child To Use At Home
*(All are free/free with teacher sign-up and/or also, have a 10-day free trial available)*
Free Reading and Literacy Resources:
TweenTribune (5-12; Junior version K-4)
Library of Congress (Library - K-12)
Free Literacy and Science/SS:
Science News for Students (K-12)
Free Mathematics: