LCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference 2025: Full Schedule

We are delighted to have you join us at the upcoming 7th Annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference, organized by:
Loudoun County Public Schools Department of Student Services.
The event will take place at Watson Mountain Middle School on January 25, 2025, running from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Your participation is highly valued, and we are excited to offer you a day filled with valuable resources and support aimed at promoting mental well-being.
The primary goal of the conference is to raise awareness about mental health and provide effective wellness strategies in a diverse and inclusive environment. Your presence is important to us, and we are committed to ensuring that you have a remarkable experience. If you have any specific requirements or language preferences, please do not hesitate to inform us. Our aim is to foster a community that prioritizes well-being, offers support, and promotes understanding.
During the conference, you will have the opportunity to engage in various activities, interact with other participants, and share your insights using our designated hashtags: #lcpsmhwc2025, #unitedforwellness, and #onelcps.

You can tailor your experience by choosing sessions designed for ELEMENTARY, SECONDARY, or ALL LEVELS, based on your interests.

Address: 41480 Steeplechase Loop Dr., Leesburg, VA 20175

If, due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you to participate in a workshop or need a language interpreter, call Parent Resource Services at 571-252-6540 at least five business days prior to the event.

Si debido a una discapacidad usted requiere asistencia para poder asistir a este taller o si necesita un interprete de idioma, llame a Servicios de Recursos Para Padres al 571-252-6540 por lo menos cinco dias antes del evento.

OR

The Loudoun County Public Schools Department of Student Services is hosting the 7th Annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference at Watson Mountain Middle School on January 25, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The conference aims to provide resources and support for mental well-being, promoting awareness of mental health challenges and wellness strategies. Sessions cater to different age groups and are inclusive of all community members, offering accommodations for individuals with disabilities or language needs. Attendees are encouraged to engage in the event’s transformative experience, fostering a culture of wellness, support, and understanding within the community. Use hashtags #lcpsmhwc2025, #unitedforwellness, and #onelcps to share experiences and connect with others involved.

Address: 41480 Steeplechase Loop Dr., Leesburg, VA 20175

When registering for sessions, please review the audience level which will indicate sessions targeting: ELEMENTARY, SECONDARY, or ALL LEVELS

If, due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you to participate in a workshop or need a language interpreter, call Parent Resource Services at 571-252-6540 at least five business days prior to the event.

Si debido a una discapacidad usted requiere asistencia para poder asistir a este taller o si necesita un interprete de idioma, llame a Servicios de Recursos Para Padres al 571-252-6540 por lo menos cinco dias antes del evento.

9:40am EST

Partnering with Parents to Reduce Anxiety in Elementary Age Students

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:40am - 10:30am EST

Room 1207

This presentation will focus on the use of the Cool Kids program as an intervention to reduce feelings of anxiety in elementary age students. The school psychologist works with the student to change how they think about anxiety provoking events, and then develops a plan with the parents to change the behaviors.

Speakers

Joel Esslinger

School Psychologist, Loudoun County Public Schools

I have worked as a school psychologist for 29 years, with 23 of those years in LCPS. I have served as the psychologist for several LCPS schools, including elementary/middle/high, and currently am assigned to two elementary schools. Unique job responsibilities/special interests... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 9:40am - 10:30am EST
Room 1207

Type 1

Audience ELEMENTARY

10:40am EST

Movement, Breath, & Mindfulness: Giving Young Ones Tools to Self-Regulate & Focus

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:40am - 11:30am EST

Room 1130A/B

The majority of this workshop will be interactive, and participants will be invited to engage in gentle movement, breath, and mindfulness practices. We will explore both calming and energizing practices and discuss ways to make the practices fun and engaging for a variety of ages. Participants will go home with embodied knowledge of the practices and a handout to use as a reference.

Speakers

Nancy McGovern

Yoga Therapist, Corner of the Sky

Nancy McGovern is an RYT-500, C-IAYT certified yoga therapist with a Master of Science in yoga therapy from Maryland University of Integrative Health. Nancy teaches weekly classes for teens at several Newport Academy locations as well as classes for stress reduction at a local yoga... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:40am - 11:30am EST
Room 1130A/B

Type 2

Audience ELEMENTARY

10:40am EST

Moving through Grief: How to Support Children's Grief Using Movement and Creative Expression

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:40am - 11:30am EST

Room 1804

This session will provide an overview of children’s grief. This topic is extremely important to talk about as 1 in 13 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18 in the state of Virginia (Judi’s House JAG Institute CBEM, 2023). The presenter will address different stages of development when it comes to children’s grief as children grieve differently than adults, and a child’s grief varies depending on the child’s age and understanding of death (Hope Edleman & Claire Bidwell Smith Motherless Daughters Training, 2023). Because grief and trauma are held in the body (Bessel Van der Kolk, 2014), Dance Movement Therapy is a beneficial modality for processing grief in a more embodied way. Dance Movement theory as it connects to grief will be discussed and participants will have the opportunity to engage in a movement experiential that involves a simple mirroring intervention that can be used with children who are grieving. Participants will also learn about other resources in the community and online to support children who are grieving and be given a tip sheet of how to support children who are grieving to take home with them. This session is the perfect addition to this conference theme as it incorporates movement and creative expression as well as a topic that is often avoided, yet crucial to a child’s development and wellbeing. When childhood grief is left unaddressed there can be consequences to one’s mental and physical health (National Alliance for Children’s Grief). Presentations like this can help support caring professionals and parents/guardians support children who are grieving!

Speakers

Kelsey Sawyer

MA, BC-DMT, Riverbend Grief and Movement Therapy LLC

Kelsey graduated with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling and specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy from Lesley University in 2019. Since then, she has worked as a youth program manager and therapist for children's grief programs across the country. Kelsey had the honor of training... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:40am - 11:30am EST
Room 1804

Type 2

Audience ELEMENTARY

10:40am EST

Partnering with Parents to Reduce Anxiety in Elementary Age Students

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:40am - 11:30am EST

Room 1207

Speakers

Joel Esslinger

School Psychologist, Loudoun County Public Schools

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:40am - 11:30am EST
Room 1207

Type 2

Audience ELEMENTARY

10:40am EST

Sleep. The #1 Health Promoting Behavior!

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:40am - 11:30am EST

Room 1611

The CDC recognizes the impact that schools have on promoting health as demonstrated by their “Healthy School Initiative”, which aims to teach students health promoting behaviors that will serve them lifelong. This session will explore sleep as a health promoting behavior necessary for wellness. Mental health is influenced by a combination of factors including genetics, environment, and behavior. We do not have control over our genetics, but we do have control over our environment and behavior. Sleep is a biological behavior that is influenced by external behavioral factors. In this session, we will review sleep physiology (sleep architecture, sleep hygiene, & the impact on growth/development), the impact of disrupted sleep on children (cognition, behavior, & emotional regulation), and explore behavioral strategies that can be used at home and in school to promote adequate sleep (routine, physical activity, screen time). Mental health and wellness cannot be fully explored without including a session on sleep! This session will begin with an ice-breaker activity that uncovers what the audience thinks of when they hear the word “sleep” and what they think happens during sleep.

Speakers

Chastity Van Pelt

Family Nurse Practitioner & Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, BLISS Pediatric Sleep Support

Chastity Van Pelt has been a Family Nurse Practitioner since 2008. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and later completed her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan in 2008. She has 9.5 years of clinical... Read More →

Saturday January 25, 2025 10:40am - 11:30am EST
Room 1611

Type 2

Audience ELEMENTARY

11:40am EST

Movement, Breath, & Mindfulness: Giving Young Ones Tools to Self-Regulate & Focus

Saturday January 25, 2025 11:40am - 12:30pm EST

Room 1130A/B

Speakers

Nancy McGovern

Yoga Therapist, Corner of the Sky

Saturday January 25, 2025 11:40am - 12:30pm EST
Room 1130A/B

Type 3

Audience ALL LEVELS, ELEMENTARY