April Superintendent Message 

We know these times are stressful for school communities and we would like to share information regarding mental health supports and resources.  During this time of uncertainty and social distancing, it is important for us all to take time for self-care and support our mental health and well-being. The following resources can be accessed by going to our website at www.prsd.ab.ca and choosing “COVID-19 Information” on our home page. 

Online Resources - a list of resources is posted on our website that includes phone numbers for local services and helplines, and links to recommended resources. The webpage links provide information on COVID-19 and mental health, ways to cope with anxiety and stress, how to discuss COVID-19 with children, engaging activities aimed at building resilience, and mindfulness tools to help de-stress and focus.

Phone sessions with PRSD Social Workers - If your child is struggling emotionally and not coping well, our School Social Workers are providing mental health support via single phone sessions. The 15-30 minute phone sessions are available to all our students. More information regarding these sessions, including contact information for our School Social Workers, can be found in PRSD’s Home Learning Plan.

Text4Hope - The Alberta government launched an online platform “Text4hope” - a free service providing three months of daily Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the form of text messages written by mental health therapists. Text COVID19HOPE to 393939 to subscribe. Note that text messages are free, dependent on the user’s cell phone plan. 

I wish to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our students, families and staff for their patience and understanding during this unprecedented and challenging time. Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to ensure that PRSD continues to support students in fulfilling it’s mission of learning together, success for all. We remain committed to student learning, well-being and success while following the direction and guidance of the Government of Alberta.

Paul Bennett,
Superintendent of Schools
Peace River School Division