Pandemic tough on kids' mental health, educators say

This week's top stories

1. COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on students

Gabrielle Mann, 9, used to enjoy holiday parties at school, or a trip to the mall or park — until the coronavirus pandemic put such events and outings on hold. Not being able to socialize with other children has taken a toll on the fourth-grader from West Hempstead, said Luverne Mann, her grandmother.

Gabrielle isn't alone, as educators and social service leaders said COVID-19 has been tough on children’s mental and physical health since schools shut down in mid-March, then reopened in the fall with restrictions. "It's hard enough for me as an adult to deal with it — I can't imagine as a child," said Mann, who also is Gabrielle's adoptive mother.

In a survey of school districts across Long Island, several said they had added resources to aid students' mental health, from hiring additional counselors to adding in-person days back to the school calendar. They have held online workshops to help parents identify signs of anxiety, and created ways to reach out to remote learners who may feel isolated.

Wyandanch Superintendent Gina Talbert said her district hired a trauma intervention consultant to help deliver a more holistic approach to education. The district extended the hours of staff hired to connect with the community and provide emotional support, she said. The district’s student support services teams provide weekly classes — both virtual and in-person — for students to share their feelings not just about the pandemic, but also about social unrest in the country. "Fortunately or unfortunately, the pandemic has highlighted the need for these conversations," said Kelly Ureña, the district's social and emotional learning specialist at Milton L. Olive Middle School.

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2. Officials to seek testing waivers for 2nd straight year

State education authorities said Monday they plan to seek federal waivers from required student testing for the second year in a row, as a result of academic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Waivers, if granted by the U.S. Education Department, would allow cancellation of both English and math tests usually administered in grades three through eight, as well as Regents exams given in high schools. The same actions were taken across the state last spring and summer.
• Test cancellations are a debated question on Long Island, where many teachers and parents contend students are under enough pressure already from frequent school closings and reopenings, without facing exams as well. At the same time, a growing number of school administrators are looking for alternate ways to track students' progress, due to concerns that many have fallen behind academically.
• The chancellor of the state's Board of Regents, Lester W. Young Jr., cited the pandemic's effects on the physical safety and mental health of both adults and children as a major consideration.

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3. Despite 2nd wave, districts find ways to keep kids in school

Nearly halfway through the 2020-21 academic year, some Long Island districts have changed their response to positive COVID-19 cases, opting to keep the doors open despite high numbers of students and staff having to quarantine.

• Districts saw an uptick of positive cases after the holiday break, but not all of them closed their buildings and pivoted to remote instruction. Some district leaders said they can stay open because of safety protocols in place, such as masks, social distancing and desk shields. Others said the shortage of substitutes available when numerous teachers quarantine leads to in-person closures.
• Students in Commack, for instance, kept going after winter break even as the district faced 140 positive cases across students and staff, Superintendent Donald James said. The district has had 193 total cases since the start of the school year, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.

• Meanwhile, students in East Hampton were sent home a few days into the new year after the district saw a rise in positive cases, forcing a large number of staff and students into quarantine, Superintendent Richard Burns said.

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4. NY comptroller: 6 LI school districts face financial risk

At a time of "unprecedented uncertainty," the state comptroller's office has identified six Long Island school districts among 31 statewide that face varying degrees of financial risk.

• The Hempstead and Wantagh districts showed moderate fiscal stress, based on data from the 2019-20 school year, the watchdog agency said. The two systems were given the same ratings in 2018-19.
• Four other districts on the Island — Elmont, Mattituck-Cutchogue, New Suffolk and Wyandanch — were characterized as "susceptible" to fiscal stress, a milder rating.
• "This is a time of unprecedented uncertainty as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt school district operations and finances," state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said. "I urge school district leaders to closely monitor their financial conditions, even if their fiscal stress scores were low in the early days of the crisis."

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Resources for you

• National Geographic Kids has educational games and videos themed around animals, science and pets, among other things. Visit kids.nationalgeographic.com.
• Scholastic offers book clubs for students of varying grade levels and interests, including books ranging from new releases to bestsellers. Visit scholastic.com.
• Created by experts, Khan Academy’s library of lessons covers math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history and more. It’s free for learners and teachers. Visit khanacademy.org.

Round of applause

Five Long Island students have been nominated for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, one of the country's most prestigious honors for high school seniors.

The students — Christopher Alexander of Elmont Memorial High School, Nistha Boghra of Sachem High School North in Lake Ronkonkoma, Damaris Hernandez of Lynbrook High School, Nikhil Keer of Division Avenue High School in Levittown, and Alexis Phillips of Hampton Bays High School — were nominated by the state Education Department. There were 25 seniors total statewide who also were nominated.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on such factors such as academic success, artistic excellence and community service.

"Damaris [Hernandez] has proven herself as a leader both in and out of the classroom," said State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach), who recommended Hernandez for the honor.

"Christopher [Alexander] is more than just a model student and engaged member of the Elmont community," said state Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck), who recommended him. "He's a role model for his entire school, and a source of pride for all of Elmont."

Your questions answered

Have questions? Send them to ednews@newsday.com. Newsday’s education reporting team will pick one to answer in this space each week.

Winter high school sports labeled as 'high risk' have been green-lit. What does that mean?

Winter high school sports classified as high risk, including wrestling, boys and girls basketball and competitive cheerleading, can be played as soon as Feb. 1, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced last week.

This week, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran released guidelines for the districts in their counties to follow if they choose to allow teams to practice and play.

Suffolk's guidelines will require athletes in those sports to get weekly COVID-19 tests, temperature checks, attendance logs for practices and games, social distancing and masks for those not in competition, suggested masks for those in competition, and no spectators.

Nassau's plan does not include mandatory testing for student-athletes and coaches in the high-risk sports. However, some school districts are taking measures to get the tests to conduct them. Nassau will also allow spectators at school districts that want them: two per athlete but not to exceed 50% capacity at a playing venue. The county will do spot checks at events and respond to complaints filed about regulations not being followed.

A go-ahead and a set of guidance will not necessarily assure that high-risk sports are played in every Long Island school district. Each district — in Nassau and Suffolk — will determine whether it will have the high-risk sports at its high schools.

— Find the latest education news at newsday.com/long-island/education. Catherine Carrera can be reached at catherine.carrera@newsday.com or on Twitter @CattCarrera.