The Snapshot is a monthly newsletter focusing on topics connected to mental health & social emotional learning. The goal is to create a shared learning opportunity for schools and families.
Secondary Snapshots
Relationships, Consent and Sexting
October 2022 ~ By the time teens reach high school, friendships become more stable. This is likely because individual identities are more solid and teens learn to accept greater differences... Read more
Creating a Better World Through Inclusion
June 2022 ~ Inclusivity can mean a number of different things. Usually, it refers to including and considering those who are often excluded or marginalized—this can involve race, religion, sexuality,... Read more
Helping Teens Manage Change
May 2022 ~ The teenage years bring many changes, not only physically, but also mentally and socially. During these years, adolescents increase their ability to think abstractly and eventually make... Read more
Youth Mental Health
April 2022 ~ Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being, which means it affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress... Read more
Healthy Habits
March 2022 ~ As a parent of a teen, you are beginning to see your child become an adult. These are critical years that will affect both their current and... Read more
Managing Conflict On and Off Line
February 2022 ~ Conflict is part of life. We can‘t hide from conflict or pretend it‘s not happening. It is unavoidable, but it does not have to be negative. Conflict... Read more
Impact of Social Media on Teens
January 2022 ~ It should come as no surprise that the pressure to be available 24/7 on social media is a very real challenge for today's teenagers. Aside from the... Read more
Relationships, Romance and Consent
December 2021 ~ Peer relationships play a central role in adolescent development. They help build character and can be an important source of emotional support. Parental guidance including ongoing conversations... Read more
Help! My Teen Stopped Talking to Me
November 2021~ So your once chatty teen has suddenly clammed up. The first thing to do is to take a breath and understand that pulling away from parents is not... Read more
Youth and Substance Use
October 2021 ~ Talking to teenagers about difficult subjects like substance use can sometimes be a challenge for parents. However, providing your child with balanced information about substance use early... Read more
Preparing for School
September 2021 ~The transition back to school will be a big change as schools move to larger cohorts and more routine, in addition to once again facing a September of... Read more
Teens, Change and a Year of COVID
May 2021 ~ In June 2020, the District Mental Health Team started planning Snapshot topics for the 2020-21 school year. We anticipated that May would be an appropriate time to... Read more
Helping Teens Cope with Grief
April 2021 ~ Each year thousands of teenagers experience the death of someone they love. When a parent, sibling, friend or relative dies, teens feel the overwhelming loss of someone... Read more
Managing Family Conflict
March 2021 ~ The COVID-19 pandemic and the public health response to this crisis requires us to spend more time together in our homes, and has limited important social connections... Read more
The Other Health Emergency
February 2021 ~ While BC continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we recognize that this is not our only health crisis. The opioid overdose crisis... Read more
The Science of Kindness
January 2021 ~ Kindness is about more than simply being nice, polite, or friendly, although those things contribute to the overall power of kindness. Kindness is about treating those around... Read more
Managing Stress During the Pandemic
December 2020 ~ Many find the holiday season to be a stressful time of year. December 2020 has the added stressors from COVID: changes to traditional gatherings, limited opportunities for... Read more
Social Emotional Learning: Strategies for Parents
November 2020 ~ Social-emotional skills are the strategies one has for managing strong emotions, navigating relationships, working effectively with others, solving difficult problems, and making responsible decisions. When these skills... Read more
Staying Connected With Your Teen
October 2020 ~ Our job as parents is to meet our kids' emotional needs at each stage of their development so they can advance to the demands of the next... Read more
Welcome Back!
September 2020 ~ This summer provided a brief period to catch our breath, and as we enter September return-to-school plans across BC are in motion. All School Districts and schools... Read more
Secondary Snapshots 2019-2020
October 2019 - Vaping and Cannabis
November 2109 - Human Rights
December 2019 - Alcohol and Teens
January 2020 - Youth and Social Media
February 2020 - Opioids and Fentanyl
March 2020 - Human Trafficking... Read more
Secondary Snapshots 2018-2019
September 2018 - Snapshot Introduction
October 2018 - Cannabis
November 2018 - Teenage Brain
December 2018 - Fentanyl
January 2019 - Recreational Use vs Addiction
February 2019 - Alcohol
March 2019 - Vaping
April 2019 - Adolescent... Read more