Anxiety within school

As we are focusing on ways to diminish anxiety within our school it is interesting to ponder on why there is so much anxiety in students nowadays. It makes me think:

Has there always been anxiety in schools?
Is it simply more obvious today?
Why?
What can we best do to help students?


The article linked below suggests that national standards have negatively impacted on students:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/95759236/anxiety-on-the-rise-for-primary-school-kids-as-schools-have-trouble-accessing-help.

No matter what the reason that contributes to anxiety, as there seem to be many, what is obvious is that we need to prioritise well being and install positivity in the daily lives of the students in our care. We need to remind students that when we are correcting behaviour we are doing so to make school a safe emotional place for them and that we are focused on their happiness and progress, celebrating their successes in learning and remind them that we are not simply focused on them achieving standard.

Then there is the question:What systems should we have in place to meet the mental health needs of students in our care?

We have taken on a number of Kathleen Liberty strategies to assist with anxiety and we are noting the changes. However it makes me wonder if there is more we can do? Who are we exactly targeting? Are there some students who continue to be challenged with such deep anxiety that they continue to struggle with simple everyday tasks? I quite like the idea of the sensory room to provide respite for students with anxiety, as mentioned in the article below:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1708/S00102/sensory-room-to-provide-respite-for-students-with-anxiety.htm

It was also interesting to read the recent article on Stuff: Four in five Christchurch primary schoolers exhibit PTSD symptoms, study finds This supports the significant changes we have made within our school and most importantly why we need to make them? We need to focus on the students well being in our care as well as our own! The study suggests that up to 80 per cent of 5 year olds in Christchurch are showing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Our goal therefore needs to be about helping students to be calmer and happier in whatever ways we can so they are better able to learn effectively.