As students in high school and middle school, we are forced with everyday challenges and we do our best to overcome them. Many students struggle with mental health related problems.

Teens aged between 12 to 18, one in five teens struggle with mental health, according to https://adolescentwellnessacademy.com/teen-mental-health-facts-statistics/ 

Many students feel that school largely impacts their mental wellbeing negatively. There is a lot of stigma still surrounding mental health. It seems that the stigma around mental health is still there because our students mental health is not being prioritized. Mental health should be treated the exact same as sicknesses, if students are mentally not prepared to go into school, they should have mental health days they are allowed to take off, they should be recognized exactly like sick days. I feel that if we had mental health days this is a step in the right direction of prioritizing our students and making sure their mental wellbeing comes first. 

What would be possible if students mental health was prioritized? Students would possibly preform better on tests, less in school conflicts, less physical fighting occurring at school. We all need a break sometimes and this could potentially make school a safer, more encouraging and positive environment. 

HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS APART OF DMPS SHOULD GET MENTAL HEALTH DAYS.

This petition is put together by a student at LHS, seeking the best interest for all individuals apart of the LHS community and DMPS.