to Mental Health Messages Aimed at Students

For the second time in 18 months, Denair Unified dedicated an entire school day Wednesday to the subject of mental health for the nearly 700 students who attend Denair High School, Denair Middle School and Denair Charter Academy.

During the first four class periods, students watched eight videos centered on mental health covering topics including the importance of seeking help, how to use coaching apps, and the connection between psychological and physical health. The program featured skits from members of the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Club, plenty of information from more than two dozen local agencies poised to help teens and their families, a barbecue lunch, lots of music, a photo booth and a colorful fun run for all.

Unlike the first mental health awareness day in March 2023, there was no featured speaker.

“The purpose of the day was to provide a fun and informative event centered around mental health awareness while incorporating positive coping skills and to show how physical exercise can be a great strategy to support one’s mental health,” said Brittany Heinsaar, a counselor at Denair High.

The message to students Wednesday was that they’re not alone in whatever they may be experiencing and there are others standing by ready to help. All they’ve got to do is ask.

“This event opened doors for students to feel safe at school to talk about their mental health struggles and ask for help,” Lina Mateus, a mental health clinician for the district and the organizer of Wednesday’s program.

Still, mental health remains a topic that many people are uncomfortable talking about or even

acknowledging. The barriers are many – lack of confidence, misplaced pride, embarrassment, the feeling no one else could possibly understand the anxiety, depression or other emotions that cause too many people too much pain.

“The stigma is still alive and well – if you’re struggling mentally, there’s something wrong with you. And

nothing could be further from the truth,” said Superintendent Terry Metzger, who has made mental health services a priority for students and their families as well as staff members since she arrived in Denair in 2018.

The district has ongoing relationships with the Center for Human Services and La Familia, which provide various levels of access to counseling and other mental health services. There are full-time mental health clinicians on staff in addition to counselors assigned to each campus. In the fall of 2021 — after students and staff had returned to campus following many months of COVID-inspired distance learning — Metzger worked with Legacy Health Endowment of Turlock to secure the services of a Stanford University psychiatrist, who conducted a series of video-based discussions with students, staff and families around the topic of mental health over many months.

During that time, Metzger also formed a Youth Mental Health Advisory Committee with about 15

students so she could hear directly from them about what they were feeling, thinking and hearing. Those conversations with students resulted in the formation in 2023 of the NAMI Club, another way for Denair students to bring weekly attention to mental health issues.

All the combined efforts, Metzger explained, are to reassure students that “if they need help, there are supports. There are caring adults in their lives.”

“They need to be comfortable reaching out for help,” she said. “That’s the only way to be the real you. That’s how to be a happy, successful adult.”

One of the focuses of Wednesday’s event was the positive connection between exercise and mental health, which was the inspiration for the color run, which lasted 35 minutes. As students ran either the two-mile or 5K route, they were dusted in chalks of different colors. Those who completed the run received medals.

Mateus said that research has found “a strong connection between how people represent their feelings and colors according to their culture.” 

“For instance, mental health is often defined by lime green, yellow is associated with hope or joy, blue with relief, pink with love, and many more,” she explained. “Creating a run with the idea to target mental health education and building a solid connection with physical health in a fun environment could open doors for students and staff to increase acceptance and reduce the stigma around mental illness. The mind-body connection event showed participants the importance and benefits of movement in our brains and how a healthier lifestyle can increase mood and self-esteem.”

As they ran, the students passed 24 signs made by NAMI members related to mental health in

combination with physical health. Later, the signs were strategically placed at the front of the school road, ensuring they were visible to all parents when dropping off or picking up the students.

“Moving the signs from inside to outside the school extended the event’s impact to the broader school community, raising awareness about mental health and the student’s active involvement in promoting it,” Mateus said.

Heinsaar said the fun run “definitely was the highlight of the day for many of the kids.”

“It was great to see everyone get involved, smiling, having fun, and truly enjoying the activity,” she said. “Even those who thought they didn’t want to participate in the end shared that they had a great time and would love to do it again.”

In addition to Mateaus and Heinsaar, the event organizers included Rosaura Contreras, Kara Binkley, Sally Baker, Perla Bravo and Luis Martinez.

This morning Denair Unified School District participated in the Great Shakeout, which occurs every October. 

On 10/17 at 10:17 am, we performed a successful district-wide earthquake drill in which all schools did a Duck & Cover drill followed by a Fire Drill.  We ensured that our Incident Command protocols were in place, checked fire extinguishers and first aid kits, and our M&O department checked water and gas mains. 

Thank you to all who participated and made it a success!

Sebastian Esquivel scored on a 45-yard fumble recovery, Degan Butler had another touchdown run, and Derek Potter connected on a TD pass to Jesse Ruelas as Denair defeated Mariposa 20-7 Friday night at Jack Lytton Field.

The Coyotes’ third straight victory capped off a successful Homecoming Week, which included student-crafted floats and a parade earlier in the day.

Esquivel’s scoop and score gave Denair a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. It came on a play in which Mariposa’s quarterback fumbled the ball on a running play.

“It went right to Sebastian and he caught it off his shoelaces,” said Denair Coach Anthony Armas. “That was a huge play.”

The Coyotes had opened the scoring earlier in the second period on Potter’s 14-yard pass to Ruelas, who also had 65 yards on the ground as the compliment to Butler. The two backs – along with Potter and the offensive linemen – are the focal point of Denair’s attack.

“f you look at them physically, you would definitely think that Degan is a bruiser and Jesse is someone who would rely more on being quick or elusive,” Armas said. “The truth is Jesse is a very physical running back. He likes contact. Degan is a very patient runner and really lets things develop in front of him. He can also get those extra yards because of his size.”

Butler’s TD – his sixth in two games – came on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter and clinched the win over the Grizzlies (1-6, 0-3). Butler finished the game with 104 yards on the ground despite a defense set up to stop him.

“Mariposa had played Delhi the week before and held them to 10 points,” Armas said. “We knew they were going to commit a lot of players to the box and they would play physically. We also made some mental mistakes in the first half of the game that didn’t help.”

Denair (5-3, 3-1) – which has a bye this week — is all alone in second place behind Stone Ridge Christian in the Southern League. The rest is coming at a good time for the Coyotes, Armas said.

“We have been banged up the last 3-4 weeks,” he said. “When the schedule came out and we saw when the bye would be, we knew this would be a good time to get healthy for hopefully a playoff run. We’ll practice this week, but they will be light practices. We want to stay sharp, but also give our kids some much needed recovery time.”

Denair returns to action on Oct. 25 when it hosts Delhi (5-2, 2-1). The Coyotes wrap up the regular season the following week with a game at Waterford (4-3, 2-1).

JV score: Denair 41, Mariposa 8. The Coyotes are 7-1 this season.

Four and a half years after the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shuttered schools, the Denair Unified School District has closed the books on the nearly $6.3 million in relief money it received from the government.

In March 2020, the COVID crisis forced a sudden and dramatic shift in how educators and students interacted. “Distance learning” became the new buzz phrase across the country. Lessons that had been delivered face to face shifted to computers – with teachers in the classroom, students at home and no time to prepare either of them for what lay ahead.

It took a year before most students returned full time to campus. The ripple effects of those unsettling times are still being reflected in consistently lower test scores, ongoing concerns over students’ as well as staff members’ mental health, and the role technology has come to play in education.

One thing is certain, however: small districts like Denair benefitted greatly from the financial lifeline provided by the federal and state governments.

The federal government sent Denair about $5.2 million in relief money. The state provided about $1.07 million. Those funds often came with specific guidelines about when and how they could be used. Some unspent money could be carried from year to year, but all of it had to be used by the end of September 2024.

Denair Superintendent Terry Metzger shudders to think what might have happened without the additional dollars.

“During the height of the pandemic, our employees were tasked with providing distance learning, which required significant technology resources,” she told trustees. “COVID relief funds paid for Chromebooks and mobile hotspots for students and staff, in addition to a variety of infrastructure upgrades that were needed. Once students came back to school, we had many health guidelines to follow, including daily disinfection of classrooms and workspaces, case reporting, HVAC filter replacement and PPE such as masks and gloves.”

In addition to crucial technology updates to support distance learning and health-related supplies, COVID dollars were also spent beefing up security and providing extra training for teachers. An added focus was placed on mental health services, health, counseling and efforts to address social/emotional learning.

Metzger said that once the day-to-day COVID health requirements were relaxed, much of the money flowed to “provide academic and mental health support for students and staff.”

“The cost of operating schools was significant during and after the pandemic, so we used the funds to supplement all areas of operations,” she explained.

Recognizing that the extra money wasn’t intended to last forever, none of it went to ongoing costs like employee salaries, with the exception of one-time COVID bonuses all staff members received.

“Overall, these funds contributed to stabilizing our budget and supporting educational continuity during challenging times,” said Daisy Swearingen, the district’s Chief Business Official.

She also expressed caution about the economic uncertainty still felt by many in the community and what that could mean for the district.

“We have seen a rise in housing prices, increased interest rates, and higher costs for goods and we still face challenges in maintaining competitive salaries, which affects staff retention and morale. The district continues to address these compensation disparities to attract and retain quality educators,” Swearingen said.

In other action Thursday, trustees:

• Heard a report from Special Education Director Amanda Silva about the district’s programs, which include 156 students, which is roughly 12% of Denair’s total enrolment. In addition to academics, much of the focus of the district’s special education programs – especially at the high school level – is on teaching life skills that will allow students to potentially hold jobs and live independently as adults. Students include those with autism as well as mild, moderate or severe learning disabilities. As much as possible, special education studies are integrated into regular classrooms.
• Heard about the progress of the district’s English Learner students from program coordinator Anajanzy Montoya. She told board members that the district has more than 230 students who are classified as English Learners, spread across all grade levels. Montoya explained how students receive intensive language instruction, allowing them to be moved from the program once they have met proficiency standards in English.
• Saw a presentation from the multicultural committee at Denair Elementary Charter Academy, whose goal is to create a welcoming school where everyone feels valued and appreciated, and there is a culturally inclusive and enriching environment for all students. The committee organizes events like Christmas Around the World, Día de los Muertos and International Day of the Child to celebrate diversity and promote understanding. It also encourages students to share their own cultural experiences and collaborate with the community to build bridges between cultures. The presentation included a video highlighting the Dual Language Immersion program that begins in kindergarten and now continues through eighth grade.
• Listened as Metzger and her four principals talked about the iReady tests in reading and math that are used to gather data about students during the fall and spring. The online exams are used for all K-8 students, grades 9-10 at DHS and grades 9-11 at Denair Charter Academy. The online exams include projections of student performance on state-mandated testing, allowing the district to assess early on the impact of specific classroom strategies.

• Approved the addition of an EMR 2 course within the Emergency Medical Services Career Technical Education Pathway at Denair High. Approval of the course is required to submit an articulation application to Modesto Junior College, which will allow high school students to receive college credits if they pass the course.
• Voted unanimously to approve a report from Swearingen about how the district is using the money received from the state under Proposition 28, which supports arts and music programs. In the 2023-24 school year, Denair received more than $200,000, part of which was used to hire music teacher Josephine Feist who split her time between DECA, DMS and DHS. This year, a second music teacher, Daniel Ibarra, was added. He works at DHS, DMS and DCA while Feist focuses on DECA.