June 17, 2020

This has been a very different June than we are used to! We are back at our worksite, and it
looks and feels familiar in some ways and foreign in others. We are getting used to arrows on
floors directing our travel, some students in the buildings and on buses and an increased
awareness of our personal space and safety. The scope of adjustment over the past few
months has been enormous and required a greater resilience than some of us knew we were
capable of. Yet, the creativity and adaptability has been inspiring! In our corner of the
world, we are generally feeling safe from COVID-19 but still being very cautious as we
venture out of our homes and back into our lives. Mental Health continues to be a major
concern as we navigate through Phase 2 and hopefully into Phase 3 of the BC Restart Plan. I
came across this chart, and wanted to share it with you:
Often, the state of our moods and emotions can be rated on a colour scale like the one
above. Please consider how this scale might apply to you. If you find you are more often in
the yellow, orange or red zone, please seek out support from our EFAP Provider, Vancouver
Island Counselling, contact me for information and resources or reach out to a trusted friend
or family member.

Another great resource is the Wellness Together Canada Portal, a no cost resource that
offers wellness self-assessment and tracking, self-guided courses, apps and other resources,
group coaching and a community of support and counselling by text or phone. If you sign
up, you will get regular opportunities to take a survey to measure where your mental health is
at that point in time and recommended resources for support if needed. Interestingly, the
program checks in with you every couple of weeks and tracks your answers to questions,
giving a comparison of where you are currently at versus where you were.

As the 2019-2020 school year starts to wind to a close, I encourage you to pay particular
attention to your own health and wellness. This has been a tumultuous year, to say the least,
and I wish you rest, relaxation and time to rejuvenate for the year ahead. Take good care of
yourself!

Warmly,

Gina Kueber
Health & Wellness Coordinator
wellness@sd79.bc.ca
250-701-3074