In this episode of the podcast, I had the chance to connect with Luke Greller, a #RockStar student leader from Newberg High School in Newberg, Oregon. Luke shares insights on balancing academics, sports, and leadership, the importance of community involvement, and his future aspirations including college football and personal growth. Luke is an incredible young man with a super bright future!

Tuesday morning education for parents, educators, and youth-serving professionals — Conduct Disorder (CD) is a more severe pattern than ODD and represents one of the higher-risk childhood/adolescent diagnoses. Clinically, CD is a repetitive, persistent pattern of behavior violating others' basic rig Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

Monday evening explainer — Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a real clinical diagnosis, but it's also one of the most over-applied labels for kids who are actually struggling with something else. Clinically, ODD is a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictive Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

Midday education — Selective Mutism (SM) is one of the most misunderstood childhood anxiety disorders. It's NOT shyness, defiance, or 'autism.' Clinically, SM is consistent failure to speak in specific social situations (usually school, with peers, or with extended family) despite speaking comfortab Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

Monday morning education for parents and educators — Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition with two core feature sets: (1) persistent differences in social communication and interaction — challenges with reciprocal conversation, reading nonverbal cues, building peer relationshi Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

The Unstoppable Strength of School Moms Tonight, we honor the unstoppable strength of school moms. 💛 The moms who fight for their child's spot. The moms who advocate when no one else will. The moms at every recital, conference, and game — even when they're exhausted. We see you. We thank you. Hap Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

Voices of the Westside host Jon Easter remembers the late, great Merle Bettenhausen...with help from Merle himself. (Photo Credit: FloRacing)

On this week's Voices of the Westside, host Jon Easter welcomes Ben Davis Senior Benny Cummings and Ben Davis Government Teacher Zachary Smith to discuss the efforts at Ben Davis to increase voter turnout in partnership with the League of Women Voters. Jon also pays tribute to Merle Bettenhausen, who passed away on Wednesday.

Thank You to Every Mom Today Today, we want to speak directly to every mom who showed up for her kids — AGAIN. 💛 Single moms. Working moms. Grandmothers raising grandchildren. Stepmoms. Aunties. Foster moms. The strength you bring ripples through every classroom in Georgia. Thank you. Happy Mothe Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

Behind Every Thriving Student Behind every thriving student is a mother whose strength made it possible. 💛 The lunch packed. The form signed. The worry comforted. The kid who made it to school — because Mom showed up again. Happy Mother's Day to every mom raising a Georgia student. From MentalSpa Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

Saturday evening real talk for parents — Adolescent Major Depression often does NOT present as a sad, withdrawn teenager. More often, it looks like: persistent irritability (the most common mood symptom in teens, vs. sadness in adults), withdrawal from friends, declining grades, sleep changes (sleep Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

Midday education for parents and teachers — Pediatric ADHD comes in three presentations, but the Inattentive Type is the one most often missed, especially in girls and 'quiet' kids who never disrupt class. The DSM signs of inattentive ADHD include: difficulty sustaining attention, making careless mi Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Subscribe to the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts.Five teachers share what really happens when you take students traveling — fundraising tips, curriculum-aligned trips, the rural ag teacher who took FFA kids to Ireland, and the student who came home transformed. The post Traveling With Students: Five Teachers Who Took the Leap appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent

Saturday morning explainer for parents and teachers: Childhood Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) often shows up not as 'worry' but as a child who frequently complains of stomachaches before school, who needs constant reassurance, who is a perfectionist about homework, who can't concentrate in class Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →

A crisis rarely arrives without warning. Looking back, families and educators almost always recognize that there were weeks — sometimes months — of quiet signals before the moment of crisis. Withdrawal. Sleep changes. Mood shifts. A flat "I'm fine" that didn't sound fine. The window before crisis Generated from MentalSpace School: Georgia K-12 Mental Health and Compliance Guide #MentalSpaceSchool #SchoolMentalHealth #K12Wellness #PodcastListen on mentalspaceschool.com →