Calcidise Tackles Student Mental Health
Senior Jack Calcidise shows the bracelets he had made for See Something, Say Something Week
By Sean Learned ’23
When schools reopened in 2021, many students re-entered society as different people. After isolating themselves for almost two years, their mental well-being was in disrepair.
For the past seven months, Jack Calcidise has been working to help make students more comfortable about opening up about their mental health.
“I noticed that after Covid’s lockdown, mental health awareness has been pushed away and the value of it has decreased greatly,” Calciside said. “I have created a survey for students to take, student to student, on mental health and ELHS staff’s ability to help with their mental health and how to better it.”
The project originated as Jack Calcidise’s independent study project after he picked up an interest in student’s declining mental health. It involved him designing the bracelets, creating the survey and all the planning.
“He did a lot of the footwork associated with it,” said Ms. Shelby Matroni, a guidance counselor who assisted Jack.
An announcement was made during the morning announcements declaring the week of March 14 “See Something, Say Something Week.”
Events during the week encouraged students to reach out to their friends if they think someone they know might be struggling with their mental health. Bracelets that say “Spartan Strong” and “#ok2talk” were handed out by Jack and Mr. Paige to students during lunch break.
It was very clear that this was something that Jack was passionate about. He donated additional time in the Spring to ensure the project went smoothly and spent a lot of time planning this whole venture.
“I have had a few family members who resorted to suicide because of their mental health and it took a large toll on me,” Jack said “Knowing other kids my age could be thinking those thoughts and feeling those feelings and feeling alone is not okay. I want kids here to know they’re not alone.”
After the week concluded, a noticeable impact had been made.
“We definitely in the two weeks following did have more kiddos coming down, worrying about their peers, and making guidance aware of it,” Matroni said.
