By: Abby Kass
“Achoo.” You hear it echo down the hall on a grim winter day. Everyone seems to have a cold, and you’re starting to feel under the weather too. Throughout the school year—especially during the winter—students often catch something, whether it’s a common cold or something more serious like the flu. While the nurse and health teachers help us understand why we get sick and how to prevent it, there’s more to health than just avoiding germs.
Nurse Meri Sirkin, TLS’s Upper School nurse, plays a large role in helping students stay healthy. As a trained psychiatric nurse, she stresses the importance of both physical and mental health. This includes eating well, exercising, managing stress, and leaning on support systems like TLS deans and psychologists.
“I’m a psychiatric nurse by training, so I can’t help but see the person as a whole being, with all biopsychosocial spiritual parts,” Sirkin said. “For example, we have, at the Lower School, open-circle that deals with learning to talk about feelings. In the Middle School, we have Sicha, and in the High School, we have advisory groups. It is great that I work here because I get to see and be part of helping people with all of that, all of those moving parts. There’s so much that’s going on here that is really wonderful.”
Coach Fabio Janeiro, a sports coach and P.E. and health teacher has worked to modify the health curriculum to address mental health more prominently. With the stigma surrounding mental health slowly fading, Janeiro sees it as essential to overall student well-being.
“I think one thing that we’ve [health teachers] been trying to do more of, that we feel is very important, is talk about mental health,” Janeiro said. “It’s always been a negative thing, talking about your feelings and what you’re going through. So just that’s been a really big focus in trying to bring that out in health class and giving kids as many resources as possible, whether we bring an organization in, whether we have conversations with kids, I think that’s been our biggest push.”
Stress management, in particular, is a hot topic in health classes, as stress impacts both mental and physical health.
“Knowing different things you can do when you’re in stressful situations can help alleviate the build-up of all the stresses that are going on,” Janeiro said. “For example, knowing what to do in certain situations if you’re upset about something, like who you can talk to so things don’t build up to the point where it becomes unmanageable. I think that giving kids resources to manage their stress, I think that’s really important.”
Although Sirkin is not a classroom teacher, she continues to educate students during her day-to-day interactions.
“I do a lot of teaching here when I’m asking questions,” Sirkin said. “Did you eat breakfast? How did you sleep last night? Is there a test or a quiz? Did something happen at recess? Did something happen in a class? I’m not meaning to be mean or I’m not meaning to be prying. I’m helping you think about why you are here with me.”
Sirkin believes that when students come to school sick, they’re not only neglecting their own health but also putting others at risk. Part of her role is helping students recognize when they need rest.
“I’ve been here long enough, I’ve seen it over and over again, and I’m always trying to help students accept that they’re sick,” Sirkin said. “Accept that it’s really okay, [that] they didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just part of life. There’s a continuum of illness and wellness. And if you’re sick, you’re sick, deal with it. It’s okay. You’re going to get better. It’s not forever, and you’ll do better if you take care of yourself than push yourself to be here.”
A common topic in health classes is the idea that teachers aren’t there to tell students what to do, but rather equip them with information so that students can make informed decisions.
“It’s about having knowledge,” Janeiro said. “Making sure that students have the power of knowledge in order for them to make the best decisions for themselves. It’s about giving you a voice and being able to understand the benefits and consequences of certain things and hopefully guide you to making the best decision possible for you to be a healthy individual. The whole point is to empower you as much as we can.”
Self-advocacy is another critical skill for students, especially when it comes to staying on top of their responsibilities after being sick.
“I feel really, really strongly about more students learning to advocate for themselves,” Sirkin said. “I can’t say enough about it. Whether you’re sick, whether you don’t feel well, whether you’re anxious, whether you need more time. It’s one of the most important things that will help you through college.”
In Bereshit, we read that humans are made in God’s image—a reflection of holiness. This idea reminds us to view our bodies as sacred and to treat them with care, both mentally and physically.
“Take good care of yourself, because you’re all you’ve got,” Sirkin said. “In Judaism, we view ourselves, our bodies, as temples. So we have to treat ourselves well, treat ourselves with kindness, and learn to be our best selves.”
