School board discusses plan to bring dialectical behavior therapy to classrooms

The Pelham school board reviewed Wednesday the steps for implementing dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in all classrooms.

Julia Chung, assistant superintendent for pupil personnel and services, said the therapy focuses on mindfulness and acceptance as a way of helping with mental health.

“Part of that implementation includes having the middle school and high school faculty also understanding and getting an overview,” said Chung.

The district plans to start small since numerous DBT lessons need to be incorporated into the existing curriculum. Health and physical education teachers were trained last fall and have started using parts of DBT in their classes.

Board members also discussed several infrastructure matters, including traffic signs at Hutchinson Elementary School and the demolition of old Hutch, which is underway. Traffic signs at Hutchinson will continue to be modified to ensure traffic flow is efficient and safe, officials said.

Work on the cast stone and window repair is underway at Pelham Memorial High School. The high school art rooms are being completed, the business offices are still being constructed, and new bathrooms at Prospect Hill Elementary School are being completed.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 and can be viewed on YouTube Live.