Using grant support from The McLean Community Foundation, JAF supported McLean High School in putting on a Stress Less, Laugh More week during their spring semester! The activities that were put on are as follows: Monday, April 25: Students could check out Stress-O-Meter banner and pick up a “fortune” with “take a break ideas” on them during lunch […]
Thanks to a grant from The McLean Community Foundation, JAF helped provide materials and support for Longfellow MS’s 2016 Stress Less, Laugh More Week, helping students destress as SOL season and the end of the school year approaches! Every day featured a different morning funny on the news and music played between periods, as well as […]
This past spring, students at Hayfield Secondary School and Thomas Jefferson High School made videos to help promote mental health awareness during one of the most stressful parts of the school year! In their video, Hayfield students announce the various themes for each day of their 2016 Wellness Week, all meant to help students celebrate destressing! The video made for […]
This past April, JAF supported Oakton HS in putting on its very first Mental Health Awareness Week! Here is an article in the Oakton Outlook, the school’s student newspaper, detailing what happened on each day of the week. On Monday, speaker Pablo Campos visited the school and gave a presentation on his experiences with ADHD, depression, and substance use while in high […]
With a grant from The McLean Community Foundation to support Stress Less, Laugh More campaigns in McLean-area schools, JAF supported Franklin Sherman Elementary School in putting on a series of three mental health-centered weeks: Laughter Week in April Calm Week in May Service Week in June See below for a more in-depth look into each […]
A group of Langley High School students held a bake sale, during which $460 was raised for JAF! It’s not too late to donate–click here to do so!
Last year, Briar Woods High School in Loudoun County put on a successful Stress Less, Laugh More Week! All week, music played in the morning as well as during the 5-minute period between blocks; the students and staff loved the music. There also were hula hoop contests, Laugh More photo booths, and mini-games (for example, […]
Along with yoga, JAF has also been working to introduce mindfulness exercises to teens. Mindfulness, which involves learning to tune into and accept one’s thoughts and feelings in the present moment, has been shown to have many potential benefits for students, and especially adolescents. Research has shown that mindfulness exercises can result in improved academic performance, better stress management, and […]
With end-of-the-year tests fast approaching, Longfellow Middle School put on a fun and active Stress Less, Laugh More Week! Every day had its own theme and unique activity to help the students prepare for the stress of school and tests in a healthy way: Monday – “Happy Chalk” Students had the opportunity to draw on the sidewalks outside […]
This year, Rocky Run Middle School hosted a successful Stress Less, Laugh More week for their students! Their daily agenda included a variety of stress-relieving efforts, like replacing their bells with a fun song or including inspiring quotes in the morning announcements; there were also activities everyday in the cafeteria so all students could get a […]