b'C o u n s e l o r s b r i n g c o p i n g s k i l l s t o t h e l o c a l c l a s s r o o m sLast year, Zoe Pantera noticed some issues inside her classroom. The La Honda Elementary teacher witnessed hersecond and third graders struggling with their emotions and unable to express them in a healthy way. There wasunwelcome competitive energy. Students would sometimes say hurtful things.I saw a need for additional social emotional support, says Pantera. And she knew who to ask: Puentes AlissaClynne, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. Clynne was already working with some children in the school, andwith the schools blessing, it blossomed into a friendship and social skills group. Eventually, students learned how tocalm themselves, identify their feelings, use I statements, and to think before speaking. It was really impactful. We normalized children feeling big things. Now we all know how to show up for oneanother, and it made for a lot of empathy among the students, says Pantera, who now teaches at PescaderoElementary. Puentes Community Health and Wellness team has deepened its collaboration with the La Honda-PescaderoUnified School District. Teachers know they can reach out and ask for mental health support for the children, as thehigh school recently did when students asked for a workshop on combating anxiety. The teachers, schools and parents really do rally around kids who are struggling. Its heartwarming to see. And it hasmade those children flourish, says Clynne. She and her colleagues, including new Program Manager LauraRodriguez, hope to provide more group support for students in the coming years along with the ongoing one-on-one counseling.Teacher Zoe Pantera seeks out social emontionalsupport for her students. La maestra Zoe Pantera busca apoyo socio-emocionalpara sus alumnos.s s s s s s s F o u r w o r k s h o p sp r o v i d e d t o s t u d e n t s i n t h el o c a l s c h o o l s ( t o p i c s i n c l u d e d ;c o p i n g s k i l l s , a n x i e t y ,20 m i n d f u l n e s s a n d m o r e ) .'