  Show us your “Student Spot”
Students from across the state have been weighing in on what a school can do to make students feel safe and welcome at school and support student mental health and wellness. One of the top recommendations from students has been to create an area within the school that is dedicated to student comforts and needs. Here are some quotes from the students we have heard from:
- “Having a safe place for students to go to when they need space.”
- “Provide a space to just be.”
- “We have counselors and we have well-being days. We get to watch movies or play basketball or we have a lounge area. We also have a coffee corner so if a student is tired they’re welcome to go get coffee.”
- “One thing is like a quiet room where students can go to feel safe and other resources.”
- “I don't always need someone to talk to, sometimes I just need a place to go. So for kids like me, a place to get away, even if it's for 15 minutes to do work in a separate room, that's a support that would be helpful”
Do you have a spot in your school that sounds like what is described above? If so, we would love to hear from you! The Coordinated School Health Unit is looking for examples from schools that provide spaces within their school specifically dedicated to student comfort and/or needs. Examples will be featured in promotional materials that highlight strategies to support feelings of safety and wellness among students.
Please send pictures and/or text describing how you create these spaces in your school to Michele Henson.
Vaping Impacts Montana Schools
Are Vape Detectors Worth the Investment?
Join us at the OPI Summer Institute on Thursday, June 22nd at MSU Bozeman for an opportunity to hear directly from administrators and teachers from Montana school districts that have installed devices designed to detect vaping inside their school buildings.
- What vape detector models have schools purchased and how do they differ?
- How do these models identify student vaping in schools?
- What technology is required?
- Do vape detectors actually deter student vaping?
- How complicated and expensive are they to install?
- Are there recurring fees?
- What financial aid for vape detectors is available to Montana schools?
This OPI Summer Institute session will also provide an opportunity to examine school discipline policies relative to tobacco use. Resources for integrating alternative and restorative discipline practices will be shared. Let's identify ways Montana schools can help students looking for support quitting vaping.
Keep an eye out and register for the OPI Summer Institute and join us on Thursday, June 22nd to learn about strategies for reducing youth vaping in Montana schools. You can find additional school resources for tobacco use prevention here.
Contact Kris Minard, OPI Tobacco Use Prevention Education Specialist for more information.
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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