Chapter 2 in Ensouling Our Schools by Jennifer Katz is most thought provoking, being as she challenges the reader to consider why Canadians perceive physical ailments treatable and normal but when it comes to mental illness, there is a stigma of shame, a lack of medical or psychological support. She states, “In Canada, only one out of five children who need mental health services receives them (Smetanin et al. 2011).” We most certainly help children with physical ailments. I know that school personnel struggle with the lack of supports for students who come to school with mental illness. It is encouraging to read Katz’s support for children with mental health issues. However, we have a long way to go before we honour ALL children, no matter how diverse each child is! Let us team up and welcome and celebrate each child who enters our lives in our families, schools and communities.
