January is a difficult time for many people’s mental health. This month we encourage you to focus on the benefits of being positive and optimistic. Some of these benefits include (just to name a few):

• Lower stress levels
• Lower rates of physical and mental illness
• Better coping skills
• A healthier lifestyle

Some simple ways to easily implement positivity and optimism are:

• Smile more
• Listen to music that makes you happy
• Surround yourself with things that make you happy
• Spend time with positive people
• Take time to stop, look around you for all the positive things at the moment, and enjoy what that feels like

Remember, positive thinking takes practice and won’t happen overnight. The best thing you can do is redirect negative thoughts and reframe them into something positive. Over time, as you continue to practice, your brain will improve at maintaining positivity and optimism.  

We invite you to focus on positivity and optimism this month and discuss these topics with your family. Encourage conversations where each person shares the positive things from their day. Also, if you want to learn more about today’s topic, please check out our section on positivity and optimism in our new Mental Wellness Resources Handbook.

As LAU school counselors, we are here to help! Please reach out to us anytime. 

Sincerely, 

Kate Chaney 
LAU Academic Counselor 
kate@lautah.org

Shauna Larson
LAU Academic Counselor 
shauna@lautah.org

Action Items

Parent Mentor Updates and Conferences: Parent Mentor Updates and Parent Mentor Conferences will take place from Monday, January 30, through Friday, February 3. Stay tuned for an email next Wednesday with instructions on how to sign up.

Open Enrollment starts next week for the 2023-24 school year: Open Enrollment will run from Monday, January 23, through Friday, February 10. Applying for the 2023-24 school year is required whether your student is new or returning to LAU. Please see here for all of the details on Open Enrollment.

Announcements

Important notice for students who use Chromebooks: Beginning February 1, Zoom is transitioning to a new “Progressive Web Application” (PWA) for Chromebooks. LAU has already updated our Chromebooks, so students should not notice this transition. However, if students run into issues joining Zoom on February 1 or later, they can install the new PWA by visiting this page or by visiting the Google Play Store and searching for “Zoom for Chrome PWA.” Students can also reach out directly to our IT Equipment Specialist, David Olsen, by calling 435-294-5242 (9:00 AM–5:00 PM MST) or emailing david@lautah.org.

Upcoming Events

January 23- February 10: LAU Open Enrollment

January 26: Thursday Night Live – 3:00 PM MT (Find details in Homeroom)

January 27: Sleigh Riding and Elk Observation at Hardware Ranch

January 30: 28-Day Drop Deadline: Last day for students to drop classes without receiving an “F”

January 30-February 3: Parent Mentor Conferences