The students from room 205 contacted Laura Armstrong a reporter from the Toronto Star after reading the article "Crisis looms for youth battling mental illness". Laura visited the class on May 6th and interviewed a number of the students. The following pictures and article was published in the Toronto Star on May 6th,
Alexa Soberal, left, and Deirdre Wureh, both 12, are among the students at Duke of Connaught school who are advocating for better mental health services for young people across Ontario. Both were shocked to learn Chazz Petrella was their age when he killed himself last summer.
Middle schoolers unite in fight against mental-health stigma
By: Laura Armstrong Staff Reporter, Published on Wed May 06 2015
Chazz Petrella’s story has become a touchstone in Room 205 at Duke of Connaught school in Toronto’s east end.
Chazz was the same age as many of the students in Danielle Astor’s Grade 7/8 class when the 12-year-old killed himself last year after struggling with mental illness for years.
The story of his death, which the Star broke last September and was recently featured in an episode of CBC’s The Fifth Estate, is one reason the class at Duke of Connaught Junior and Senior Public School decided to focus this year’s Learning Business Venture Project, exploring mental health and well-being.
If Chazz were alive today, 12-year-old Lola Purdon would make sure the Cobourg-area boy knew he wasn’t alone.
“I can’t imagine how isolated he must’ve felt. He probably felt like no one else shared his feelings,” Lola said.
The Grade 7 student knows that’s not the case. During the tailored unit on mental health, Lola learned that 70 per cent of mental health issues emerge during adolescence.
But she can’t tell Chazz; he died after hanging himself from a tree in August. His family says the boy’s mental illness was improperly treated and has requested a coroner’s inquest into the circumstances leading to his death.
Educational assistant Nancy Boyce contacted the Star about the class endeavour Wednesday, after learning that a new Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) report found that more than 6,000 young people who suffer from severe mental illness are waiting long months, often more than a year, before they can get access to long-term counselling and therapy. During that wait, the report said, many young people in crisis end up in emergency rooms ill-equipped to help them.
The class was shocked to learn the report’s findings.
“I just think that people need to notice that this isn’t something (the government) can just push off. It’s serious and it’s becoming something really big that we all need to notice,” said Grade 8 student Bailey Pain, 14.
The unit helped students to open up about their own struggles with peer pressure, depression, grief, loss, stress and anxiety, among other things, said Astor, their teacher.
One boy’s father committed suicide, and then his mother abandoned the boy. Another was distraught over his friends’ unsympathetic reaction to his mother’s serious heart problems. Others worry about personal health issues, are being bullied or are simply anxious about completing their math homework.
Alexa Soberal, left, and Deirdre Wureh, both 12, are among the students at Duke of Connaught school who are advocating for better mental health services for young people across Ontario. Both were shocked to learn Chazz Petrella was their age when he killed himself last summer.
Middle schoolers unite in fight against mental-health stigma
By: Laura Armstrong Staff Reporter, Published on Wed May 06 2015
Chazz Petrella’s story has become a touchstone in Room 205 at Duke of Connaught school in Toronto’s east end.
Chazz was the same age as many of the students in Danielle Astor’s Grade 7/8 class when the 12-year-old killed himself last year after struggling with mental illness for years.
The story of his death, which the Star broke last September and was recently featured in an episode of CBC’s The Fifth Estate, is one reason the class at Duke of Connaught Junior and Senior Public School decided to focus this year’s Learning Business Venture Project, exploring mental health and well-being.
If Chazz were alive today, 12-year-old Lola Purdon would make sure the Cobourg-area boy knew he wasn’t alone.
“I can’t imagine how isolated he must’ve felt. He probably felt like no one else shared his feelings,” Lola said.
The Grade 7 student knows that’s not the case. During the tailored unit on mental health, Lola learned that 70 per cent of mental health issues emerge during adolescence.
But she can’t tell Chazz; he died after hanging himself from a tree in August. His family says the boy’s mental illness was improperly treated and has requested a coroner’s inquest into the circumstances leading to his death.
Educational assistant Nancy Boyce contacted the Star about the class endeavour Wednesday, after learning that a new Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) report found that more than 6,000 young people who suffer from severe mental illness are waiting long months, often more than a year, before they can get access to long-term counselling and therapy. During that wait, the report said, many young people in crisis end up in emergency rooms ill-equipped to help them.
The class was shocked to learn the report’s findings.
“I just think that people need to notice that this isn’t something (the government) can just push off. It’s serious and it’s becoming something really big that we all need to notice,” said Grade 8 student Bailey Pain, 14.
The unit helped students to open up about their own struggles with peer pressure, depression, grief, loss, stress and anxiety, among other things, said Astor, their teacher.
One boy’s father committed suicide, and then his mother abandoned the boy. Another was distraught over his friends’ unsympathetic reaction to his mother’s serious heart problems. Others worry about personal health issues, are being bullied or are simply anxious about completing their math homework.
Teacher Danielle Astor says the 35 students in her Grade 7/8 class were distraught after opening up about their own anxieties, grief, loss and low points, but the openness has completely changed the atmosphere in the classroom. Educating children about mental health is a first step in getting young people involved in the broader conversation, she said.
Struggles put into perspective
“By the end of (the first) conversation, they were all crying,” Astor said. “One student said to me, ‘I can’t believe we all come to school every day shouldering all this.’ I can’t believe it, either.”
Though none of Astor’s students suffer from diagnosed mental health problems, as far as she knows, the teacher said their daily struggles have put into perspective how difficult life can be for a young person also dealing with mental health issues.
In late May, the class will host a mental health awareness night called “Hear the Whisper.” They’re selling an anthology of their stories for $6, as well as personal artwork painted in class, to raise funds for CMHO. They plan to donate the money in Chazz’s name.
Some of Chazz’s work — the 12-year-old painted graffiti-style pieces – will also be showcased at the event. His mother, Janet Petrella-Ashby, plans to attend. Mel Taysean Smith, 13, finds Chazz’s story very relatable; a young man who was “like a brother” to Mel killed himself when he was 17 years old.
“It’s hard. (Chazz was) so young, too. That’s like one of my friends, one of my peers, someone in here.”
Mel’s classmate, Bailey Pain, says young people deserve to be part of the conversation about the province’s mental health system.
“If we don’t learn that we have to take care of and understand (mental health issues) now, what’s going to happen later on?” she said.
Struggles put into perspective
“By the end of (the first) conversation, they were all crying,” Astor said. “One student said to me, ‘I can’t believe we all come to school every day shouldering all this.’ I can’t believe it, either.”
Though none of Astor’s students suffer from diagnosed mental health problems, as far as she knows, the teacher said their daily struggles have put into perspective how difficult life can be for a young person also dealing with mental health issues.
In late May, the class will host a mental health awareness night called “Hear the Whisper.” They’re selling an anthology of their stories for $6, as well as personal artwork painted in class, to raise funds for CMHO. They plan to donate the money in Chazz’s name.
Some of Chazz’s work — the 12-year-old painted graffiti-style pieces – will also be showcased at the event. His mother, Janet Petrella-Ashby, plans to attend. Mel Taysean Smith, 13, finds Chazz’s story very relatable; a young man who was “like a brother” to Mel killed himself when he was 17 years old.
“It’s hard. (Chazz was) so young, too. That’s like one of my friends, one of my peers, someone in here.”
Mel’s classmate, Bailey Pain, says young people deserve to be part of the conversation about the province’s mental health system.
“If we don’t learn that we have to take care of and understand (mental health issues) now, what’s going to happen later on?” she said.