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EDUCATION AND YOUTH 

Mountain Views News Saturday, October 4, 2025

PROTECTING KIDS’ MENTAL HEALTH THIS SCHOOL YEAR

(StatePoint) From schoolwork and homework to friendships and extracurriculars to potentially 
dealing with difficult situations like bullying, there is a lot for kids to navigate during the 
school year.

Fortunately, efforts are being made to provide tools that help protect kids’ mental health—and 
parents and teachers can be proactive about getting involved.

Preventing Bullying

Bullying is a direct cause of mental health issues and can be one of the major stressors kids 
face both at school and after hours due to the rise in cyberbullying. It’s important that children 
treat each other with compassion, as unkind words and actions can have devastating effects on 
the long-term wellbeing of classmates.

Celebrating 10 years, Pilot Pen’s “Erase Bullying for Good” initiative helps students, parents 
and teachers understand and stop bullying. Sales from Pilot’s FriXion Clicker erasable gel 
pens support STOMP Out Bullying, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to this issue. In 
fact, Pilot’s contributions to anti-bullying organizations between 2015-2025 will equal over 
$650,000, helping fund a variety of initiatives that are making communities a safer place for 
students.

The campaign recommends these tips to help erase bullying before it starts at your child’s 
school:

• Advocate for the adoption of bullying prevention programs. This might include special 
teacher and faculty training, peer mentoring and “Bullying Boxes,” where students can file 
anonymous reports of bullying.

• Institute wellness rooms, which are safe spaces where students experiencing distress can 
retreat and relax.

• Ensure your school actively celebrates both diversity and differences, and that all students 
are respected and valued. Establish programs that teach empathy, tolerance, kindness, acceptance 
and conflict resolution.

• Ask your school to establish internet use guidelines to educate students and help stop after-
hours cyberbullying.

• Teach kids about the difference between being a bystander – someone who watches bullying 
happen – and being an upstander – someone who intervenes when bullying is taking place. 
Encourage them to be an upstander when it feels safe to do so and to report bullying when 
they witness it.

If you’re experiencing bullying, or if you have a friend, child or student who is, lean on resources 
designed to help. Pilot’s “Erase Bullying for Good” campaign and STOMP Out Bullying 
provide tools to help you react effectively to bullying when it happens and learn what to do 
next. To access these resources, visit powertothepen.com/erase-bullying.

Navigating Emotions

It’s easy for students to get overwhelmed by the demands of their classes. Be sure that kids 
have the time and space outside of schoolwork to have fun, cultivate friendships and practice 
self-care.

Encourage hobbies like exercise, meditation, team sports and outlets for their creative expression 
like journaling, drawing and music. These activities can help kids build self-confidence 
and manage relationships; skills they need to be resilient in the face of stressful situations.

Parents can help by establishing open lines of communication and equipping kids with tools 
that can encourage them to express themselves more freely and help eliminate some homework-
related frustration. FriXion erasable pens made with thermo-sensitive ink technology 
write smoothly and erase cleanly, giving students the power to write, erase and rewrite anything 
from term papers to poetry, without tedious rewrites and with less stress.

Cultivating kindness and compassion in communities and giving kids the tools they need to 
build their self-confidence helps protect students’ mental health and helps ensure everyone 
has a safe, healthy and successful school year.

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

Alverno Heights Academy

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3463 

Head of School: Joanne Harabedian

E-mail address: jharabedian@alvernoheights.org

Arcadia Christian School

1900 S. Santa Anita Avenue Arcadia, CA 91006

Preschool - TK - 8th Grade

626-574-8229/626-574-0805

Email:inquiry@acslions.com

Principal: Cindy Harmon

website: www.acslions.com

Arcadia High School

180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007

Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: Brent Forsee

bforsee@ausd.net

Arroyo Pacific Academy

41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca, 

(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil Clarke

E-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School

Ms. Rose Navarro, Principal

2660 East Orange Grove Blvd.

Pasadena, Ca 91107

626-793-2089

https://school.abvmpasadena.org/

Barnhart School

240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 446-5588 

Head of School: Tonya Beilstein

Kindergarten - 8th grade

website: www.barnhartschool.org

Bethany Christian School

93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3527 

Preschool-TK-8th Grade

Principal: Jonathon Hawes

website: www. bcslions.org

Clairbourn School

8400 Huntington Drive

San Gabriel, CA 91775

Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172

FAX: 626-286-1528

E-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org

Foothill Oaks Academy

822 E. Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010

(626) 301-9809

Principal: Nancy Lopez

www.foothilloaksacademy.org

office@foothilloaksacademy.org

Frostig School

971 N. Altadena Drive Pasadena, CA 91107

(626) 791-1255

Head of School: Jenny Janetzke

Email: jenny@frostig.org

The Gooden School

192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-2410 

Head of School, Jo-Anne Woolner

website: www.goodenschool.org

High Point Academy

1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road 

Pasadena, Ca. 91107 

Head of School: Gary Stern 626-798-8989

website: www.highpointacademy.org

La Salle College Preparatory

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 351-8951 website: www.lasallehs.org

Principal Ernest Siy

Monrovia High School

325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016 

(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin Jackson

Email: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us

Odyssey Charter School

725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001

(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neill

website: www.odysseycharterschool.org

Pasadena High School

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 396-5880 Principal: Dr. Eric Barba

website: http://phs.pusd.us

St. Rita Catholic School

322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

Principal: Jon McMaster (626) 355-6114 

mcmaster@st-ritaschool.org

Website: www.st-ritaschool.org

Sierra Madre Elementary School

141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-1428 

Principal: Dr. Jodi Marchesso

E-mail address: marchesso.jodi@pusd.us

Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 836-2947 Principal: Garrett Newsom

E-mail address: newsom.garrett@pusd.us

Walden School

74 S San Gabriel Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166 

www.waldenschool.net

Weizmann Day School

1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 797-0204

Lisa Feldman: Head of School

Wilson Middle School

300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth Esseln

E-mail address: resseln@pusd.us

Pasadena Unified School District

351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 396-3600 Website: www.pusd@pusd.us

Arcadia Unified School District

234 Campus Dr., Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 821-8300 Website: www.ausd.net

Monrovia Unified School District

325 E. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, Ca. 91016

(626) 471-2000 

Website: www.monroviaschools.net

Duarte Unified School District

1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010

(626)599-5000 

Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com