MNVS Winter Newsletter

Seasons greetings MNVS students and families! You School Counseling and Social Work team will be sending out quarterly newsletters to help best support our students and also to keep students informed of important dates and information. If you have an idea for a future newsletter topic please let us know.

Want to get a jump-start on college without leaving your home?Consider PSEO at MNVS! PSEO is a dual credit program that allows 10th, 11th and 12th grade students to earn high school and college credit tuition completely FREE! With traditional PSEO, these courses are generally offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution but many courses are offered online. Each participating college and university sets their own requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses and programs. If you are interested, please contact your school counselor to discuss options, requirements for the program, and next steps.

Benefits of PSEO:

• Earn high school and college credits at NO COST
• Take college classes in person or online
• Save thousands in tuitions, fees, and costs of materials (books etc)

Contact Brian Buechner, the Middle School Counselor for:

• Individual Support & Planning Personal/Academic/Career
• Counseling Groups (Mental Health, Harry Potter, and more!)
• Social Circles (student led social chat groups)
• Parent/Guardian guidance & support consultation

REMINDER

The end of the semester is quickly approaching. You have until 1/25 to complete your coursework! Please reach out to your school counselor if you have any concerns.

MNVS School Social Worker
Nikki DiVirgilio
ndivirgilio@emailmtcs.org

MNVS School Counselors:

Jenna Krueger (A-K)
jkrueger@emailmtcs.org

Jenny Priem (L-Z)
jpriem@emailmtcs.org

Brian Buechner (Middle School)
bbuechner@emailmtcs.org

Hello Students,

Do you notice your mood change as the air gets colder and the nights last longer? Maybe you have heard of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). According to the Mayo Clinic SAD is “a type of depression that’s related to seasons.” It goes on to say, “SAD begins and ends about the same times each year.” I noticed my own mood change late September and wondered what was going on, and I realized: Oh, winter is coming.

Some symptoms include:

• Feeling sad or down most or all of the day
• Losing interest in activities
• Feeling low energy or more sleepy
• Craving carbohydrates and possible weight gain
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling hopeless

Some risk factors of SAD include:

• Family history
• Having depression or bipolar disorder
• Low levels of Vitamin D

Some ways to ease SAD:

• Try light therapy
• Use essential oils like citrus or peppermint
• Consider visiting a warm indoor space, such as the Como Conservatory in St. Paul
• Search “ways to ease SAD”
• If symptoms worsen, consider taking antidepressants
• If feeling hopeless with thoughts of suicide, please seek medical attention or call or text the national crisis line: 988 https://988lifeline.org/

Also check out Change to Chill & our Virtual Social Work Office  for more resources. If you are in need of individual support,  contact Nikki DiVirgilio, the school social worker ndivirgilio@emailmtcs.org ❄