Mon, May 5, 2025 – Fri, May 9, 2025

This Teacher Appreciation Week, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of you who not only teach academics but also nurture hearts and minds through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Your commitment to helping students recognize and manage emotions, build empathy, and develop meaningful connections is shaping resilient, compassionate individuals.

By weaving SEL into your daily schedule, you are creating safe spaces where students feel seen, heard, and valued. Thank you for leading with empathy, teaching with heart, and making a lasting impact far beyond the classroom.

You are appreciated more than words can express.

With gratitude,

Mustangs' Wellness Team

Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. For more than 20 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) every May to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being and provide reso

• Adolescent Mental Health – WHO (Fact Sheet / Website)
  A global overview of adolescent mental health challenges, risk factors, and protective strategies—ideal for counselors and school leaders. Read the fact sheet

• Reimagining Mental Health in Schools – NAMI (Guide / Website) A practical resource outlining how schools can move from reactive to proactive mental health support. Explore the guide

• How Forgiveness Changes Your Brain – Greater Good (Article)
  A research-based look at how practicing forgiveness can improve emotional well-being and mental health. Read the article

• Connecting with Nature Through Journaling – GGIE (Activity / Website) A guided journaling practice that promotes mindfulness, emotional regulation, and connection—great for student or staff well-being. Try the activity

• Headspace for Educators (App + Website) A free platform offering meditation and mindfulness tools for educators and students to support mental wellness. Access the toolkit

Ten Adverse Childhood Experiences – ‘The ‘Classic ACEs Profile’

1. Physical neglect: failure to supervise or provide for the child
2. Emotional neglect: caregiver unable to express affection or love for the child due to personal problems
3. Physical abuse: severe assault or physical abuse such as shaking or hitting
4. Sexual abuse: child experienced sexual abuse or forced sex
5. Emotional abuse: caregiver engaged in psychological aggression towards the child such as threatening
6. Caregiver treated violently: domestic violence of an adult in the home including slapping hitting or kicking
7. Caregiver substance-abuse: active alcohol and drug abuse by a caregiver
8. Caregiver mental illness: serious mental illness or elevated mental health symptoms
9. Caregiver divorce/family separation: child’s parent(s) deceased, separated or divorced or child was abandoned or placed in out of home care
10. Caregiver incarceration: caregiver spent time in prison or is currently in jail or detention centre

Summary: The Impact of Neglect

Neglect is a core and often overlooked form of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), though it's one of the most common and damaging. When neglect is combined with experiences of threat, its negative effects are significantly magnified. Despite being widespread, emotional maltreatment and neglect are less recognized compared to other forms of abuse.

Research highlights that neglect and other ACEs are linked to a wide range of psychosocial disorders later in life, such as behavioral problems, ADHD, bipolar disorder, memory issues, chronic mental illness, eating and personality disorders, PTSD, psychosis, self-harm, suicide attempts, and uncontrollable anger.

Institutional care, which often involves extreme neglect, has been shown to cause major developmental issues. Studies have found that institutionalized children have:

• Attachment problems: Only 24% formed secure attachments vs. 62% in non-neglected peers.

• High rates of disorganized attachment: 57% vs. 15% in normative samples.

• Significant delays in physical, brain, cognitive, and attention development—over 80% scored below average.

• Longer stays in institutions correlate with more severe developmental impairments (a dose–response effect).

In summary, neglect—especially in institutional settings—has deep, long-term effects on children’s mental, emotional, and physical development.

⏰ Wellness Team meets weekly on Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30am in admin suite

😊 For student consultation supports, please contact Wellness MMS Team Members:

Ms. Raphael, Ms. Raifsnider, Ms. Castro, Ms. Sargent, Ms. Kent, Mrs. Thompson, Ms. Terrell, or Ms. Williams

Principal Cooke's Email: lucas.cooke@k12.dc.gov

Location: 4400 Iowa Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20011

Phone: 202-671-6033

Website: https://www.macfarlandmsdc.org/