Helping students keep calm & carry on

Support for tranquil spaces in schools allows users to regain emotional balance

When Jade Pearson feels overwhelmed, the Horatio High School junior knows just where to go: her school’s Take Good Care Calming Room.

Horatio, in Sevier County in southwest Arkansas, was one of 75 schools throughout Arkansas to receive special funding awarded as part of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s 75^th anniversary celebration. Each school selected received $2,500 to create a calming room – a quiet place where students can reflect and refocus when anxious or stressed.

“The room is a safe place to let out and talk about your emotions without fear of judgment,” Pearson said. Her teacher, Cindy Frachiseur, submitted the school’s application for the calming room and said having it at the school has “changed many students’ lives.”

Arkansas Blue Cross employees visited the completed calming rooms to help dedicate the space.

“It was so powerful to visit schools all over the state to see how the calming rooms are making a difference in students’ lives,” said Kristy Follett, senior community and public relations coordinator, who shepherded the project. “They are learning tools for better mental health that we hope will serve them the rest of their lives.”

Cindy Smith, the Mountain View School District grants coordinator, said the students in her district have experienced major traumatic events at a rate higher than many other districts.

“We would not have had the funds to do this project without (the support),” Smith said. “Having a place for them to go and take a moment to decompress and get control of emotions and just relax is such a positive for them and us.”

At Lamar High School, Judith Little has noticed another benefit: When students are upset or overwhelmed, they don’t have to leave school and miss a day of learning.

“This room has allowed students to stay at school, calm down and go back to class and learn. The calming room has been a great asset,” she said.

The calming rooms were designed with students in mind, but staff and parents have benefitted from them as well.

“It truly is a calming space, not just for students but everyone who enters the room. This room has also been a great use for staff during meetings with parents; they noticed a change in atmosphere when meeting (in the calming room),” said Krista Ashcraft, a counselor at Woodlawn Elementary School in Rison, which serves students from kindergarten through 6^th grade.

Ashcraft used funds from her grant to buy everything from puzzles and fidgets to weighted blankets and oversized stuffed animals.

“We have seen a great difference that our calming room makes for our students,” she said. “Teachers can send students to the calming room for any situation where a separation from the classroom is needed. It has been exciting to see a student explore different coping tools during times of need and learn what works for them.”