Page 18 - Forest Hill Lifestyle Magazine March 2022

The Impact of Covid on School Aged Children
By: Dr. DAVID HARLEY Deputy Headmaster
The impact of Covid is still being felt in Canada and across the world. Along with the more obvious consequences of the pandemic, there have been less obvious and arguably more insidious effects that promise to have far reaching implications for the mental health of school age children. Some years ago, the term ‘emotional intelligence’ was introduced into our vocabulary in recognition of the fact that our emotions are fused to our intellect. Recently the term ‘social emotional learning’ has come to light as the banner of a new emphasis upon mental health, an emphasis that has been necessitated by the tsunami of issues caused and exacerbated by Covid and inflicted upon the young.
Robert Land Academy long ago realized the need for a school program that could address more than the intellect. Invariably, it is the emotional foundation upon which the intellect operates that facilitates and enables academic success. It is often overlooked that emotions can invigorate intellect, but it is no less the case that emotions can impede its function. There is talk of the Fog of War but no less is there a Fog of Adolescence where feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, depression and vulnerability overwhelm boys. So often their engagement in school settings both socially and academically is impacted by a wave of destabilizing and conflicting emotions. Academic performance more often than not has less to do with how intelligent boys are and more to do with how intelligent they believe that they are. Put another way, academic invalidation combined with insecurity often leads to a fear of being stupid which in turn leads to disengagement and avoidance behaviors.
The physical removal from school and friends, online learning and hours before a computer screen have all conspired to cause a perfect storm. The normal crisis of adolescence among boys is shaping up to be for many a barrier to a productive adulthood rather than a
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mere rite of passage. It is a problem that needs to be addressed head on.
The program at Robert Land Academy is uniquely suited to meet this challenging situation. I invite you to visit our web page and explore this school and this program for your son, a living and learning environment with a proven track record of success.
If you would like more information
18 FOREST HILL Lifestyle MARCH 2022