New state law encourages schools to be the answer

Rachel Ventura

When people enduring mental health crises are told they need to “calm down,” that raises an important question, says the sponsor of a new state law that encourages schools to incorporate relaxation activities within the instructional week.

“Who taught us how to calm down?” says 43rd District State Sen. Rachel Ventura, a Joliet Democrat. “Is that a responsibility of our parents, our bosses, our education? We get told (to calm down) a lot if we have heightened emotions or are upset. But we don’t do a great job of educating people how to do those things.”

The family of the late Stefania Rahn of Glen Ellyn, who died as a result of mental illness at age 28 in 2022, feels the same way. The Rahn family has established Stef’s Corner, a bookshelf of mental health and wellness resources, along with journals and calming supplies, located within the high schools and other district facilities of Glenbard High School District 87.

With the new state law encouraging relaxation activities effective at the beginning of this year, Ventura hopes a similar focus on mental wellness skills could be on its way to more schools across the state.

‘Building blocks’ of emotional stability

The law is not a mandate and doesn’t require schools to do anything. But it allows them to bring in outside experts such as yoga instructors to incorporate stress-reducing activities for students. It gives teachers the freedom to incorporate calming-related lessons into their existing curriculum or to create new classes focused on these skills. The law lists breathing exercises, yoga, stretching, meditation, talking with a counselor, reading a book and quiet time among the activities schools are encouraged to incorporate.

Ventura describes this mix of physical, mental and emotional supports as “the basic building blocks of dealing with our emotions and centering ourselves.” She said she has heard of several schools increasing their emphasis on this type of education. Some are incorporating five minutes of meditation before instruction or adding stretching back into gym classes to help students reconnect with their minds and bodies.

“I think that’s important,” Ventura said. “When people get to a moment when they’re out of capacity, they know what it looks like, and they know how to reset personally.”

Teaching calming techniques

In the Glenbard district, administrators say their focus on teaching relaxation skills to decrease stress is already strong.

Broderick Booth, assistant principal of student services, said there’s a “Glenbard Hour” at least once a week when students get to choose what they need most to take care of themselves — be it tutoring from a teacher, a session with a counselor or time to decompress. Construction during the next few years will provide more space for quiet time and meditation, he said, and the new state law only further encourages educators to teach teens ways to calm and cope.

Students need this increased emphasis on mental health, said Xristina Rahn, Stefania’s mother, who led the charge to create the resources at Stef’s Corner.

“There’s so many of them who suffer in silence,” Rahn said.