The Weekly Update

Welcome to May! This month is Mental Health Awareness Month. For a long time, people treated mental health like a secret. But secrets breed shame.

This month, we are breaking the stigma. We are talking about brains, feelings, and why it’s actually stronger to ask for help than to suffer in silence.

• The Data: According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 6 youth (aged 6-17) experience a mental health disorder each year.

• The Takeaway: Look around your classroom. Statistically, you are surrounded by people who "get it." You are part of a massive community, not an isolated island.

Green is the color of Mental Health Awareness.

The Challenge: Wear something green this week (a shirt, a ribbon, even a bracelet).

Why: It’s a silent signal to others that says, "I’m a safe person to talk to," or "I support mental health." It helps make the invisible visible.

• School Counselor: Grant Sparks (766-3410)/Christine Harrell (766-3407)
• Mental Health Support: Shannon Krenek, LCSW (766-3379) - Leave a note if Ms. Shannon is not in. She would love to meet you.
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, 24/7 support.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988.

Monday: 5/4

• Golf - Regionals @ Grassy Creek
• Soccer HOME Avery
• Army recruiter - Commons at Lunch
• Baseball/Softball bracketing

Tuesday: 5/5

• Hospice & Homecare of the Blue Ridge - Commons at Lunch
• Memoir Celebration Night - 5-7pm

Wednesday: 5/6

• Open Mic (last one) - come support your friends and FBLA

Thursday: 5/7

• Academic Letter
• Altec - Info Hiring @ Lunch
• Theater - Murder Mystery @ Linville Falls Winery

Friday: 5/8

• Soccer bracketing

Calling all musicians, poets, storytellers,

MHS Book Club will sponsor our final Open-Mic Wednesday, 5/6, after school in the media center! FBLA will have refreshments for sale, so please bring money to support their fundraiser as they head to nationals. We won't have other refreshments in order to help FBLA. Door prizes will be a voucher from Book Club for refreshments from FBLA.

Please fill out the form; click here to sign up. Even if you aren't performing, please sign-up so we have an idea of how folks are planning to attend

Goal: Work smarter, not harder.

• Active Recall > Re-reading: High school secret: Highlighting your textbook does almost nothing. Instead, close the book and try to explain a concept out loud to your dog (or a mirror). If you can explain it, you know it. Use Flashcards, Quizlet.

• The "Group Chat" Rule: Study groups are great until they become "hangout groups." If you’re studying with friends, set a timer: 40 minutes of silence, 10 minutes of chaos.

• Health Check: Drink more water. Seriously. Dehydration mimics the feeling of "brain fog" and boredom.

• The 50/10 Rule: Your brain can only focus for so long. Work for 50 minutes, then take a 10-minute "True Break." No screens—walk outside, grab a snack, or stretch.

• Check Your Fuel: Stress + Junk Food = Fatigue. Try to swap one soda for water and one bag of chips for some protein. Your brain is a muscle; feed it.

• Grade Protection: Focus on the "weighted" assignments. A 10-point quiz isn't worth the stress; a 100-point project is.