Straight Talk on Student Stress By Sharon Macey P’14; Wilton, CT
STRESS!!! We all live with it, as do our kids. Because it is
such a hot-button topic, some 85 parents attended a Parent-to-
Parent Panel over Parents Spring Weekend entitled Stress: Real
or Perceived? Deerfield Parents Network President Jim Alexandre
moderated the panel, which featured school counselors Dr. Stuart
Bicknell and Dr. Sheila Fritz and Kristin Loftus, health issues
teacher. Here is a recap of the presentation: One thing that
became apparent during the discussion was that whether DA
student stress is real or perceived, it doesn’t matter. If the
kids perceive it, it’s real. Stressors, as reported by students
and counselors, were predictable: - Homework issues - Social
issues - College preparation - Family concerns The question is:
What can be done to reduce students’ level of stress? GO TO
SLEEP ALREADY! Mrs. Loftus spoke of the vital importance of
sleep. In 2008, DA delayed the start of class to 8:30 a.m. in an
attempt to allow kids to