How KO Supports Middle Schoolers’ Mental Health & Wellness

In the bustling halls of KO Middle School, laughter and chatter mix with the buzz of learning and growth. Behind this lively energy lies a crucial support system dedicated to nurturing not just academic success, but emotional and social well-being. At the heart of that system stands Brenna Chiaputti, the school’s Middle School counselor and a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) — a professional trained to support students’ mental health, emotional resilience, and social development.

 

Her office, a calm refuge with the comforting presence of her therapy dog, Pearl, is a place where students can take a breath, talk openly, and be heard. Chiaputti said her goal for her middle school students is to develop their understanding of themselves. “I want them to have a good sense of self,” she said. “I want them to have the ability to advocate for themselves and say, ‘What’s the way forward and what kind of supports do I need?’” 

 

Chiaputti wears two hats: she provides counseling to students who need individual or small-group support, and she teaches a course called Life Skills, designed to promote emotional intelligence and mental wellness, covering topics such as media literacy and conflict resolution. The Life Skills curriculum is grounded in the CASEL framework, which identifies five core competencies for emotional growth: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making.

 

This class normalizes conversations about mental health, puberty, relationships, and the everyday struggles of adolescence. “We remove the taboo,” she says. “Students realize it’s okay to talk about these issues.”

 

Since every student is enrolled in the Life Skills course, every student in the Middle School knows her, which reduces some of the stigma students may feel when visiting the counselor. “It’s not just going to see the counselor,” she said. “It’s going to see Ms. Chip, who is familiar.” Visiting the counselor, she said, is framed as an experience that is accessible and appropriate for every student, depending on where they are. And then there’s Pearl, whom everyone adores, which makes her office feel safe and welcoming.

At first glance, middle school might seem like a carefree time — full of new experiences and friendships. But Chiaputti knows that beneath the surface, many students are navigating profound internal changes. “They’re developing independence, learning how to manage their emotions, and figuring out who they are,” she said. “That can be overwhelming.”

 

Common challenges include academic stress, social pressure, and self-esteem issues. Some students may struggle because they develop more slowly or quickly than their peers — academically, emotionally, or physically. “When that happens, it can cause anxiety or feelings of not belonging,” Brenna explains. “My job is to help them recognize what’s going on, find coping strategies, and identify supports.”

 

Referrals to Chiaputti can come from many sources: parents, teachers, friends, or the students themselves. “Sometimes a teacher notices a change in a student’s mood or performance,” she explains. “Other times, a student’s friend might reach out and say, ‘I think my friend is struggling. I don’t know what to do. How can I help?’”

 

This collaborative approach, she says, reflects KO’s supportive culture. KO has a robust advising system where one teacher is paired with approximately eight students who touch base every day. “The advisor is going to notice day to day what’s up or down with the student and pass this information along to me,” she said. This extra set of eyes provides another safety net for a student’s wellness.

 

Parents also play a central role and often need reassurance that the emotional ups and downs of adolescence are normal. “It can be tough for parents when their child starts pulling away,” Chiaputti says. “Suddenly, the kid who used to share everything becomes quiet or distant. But that’s a normal part of developing independence.”

 

Chiaputti offers three key pieces of advice for parents navigating this stage:

 

Find the small connection moments.
“The best conversations often happen in the car, during dinner, or before bed — those in-between moments where your child feels relaxed and unpressured.”

 

Listen without fixing.
“Parents naturally want to solve problems. But middle schoolers often just need to feel heard. When a child senses you’re trying to ‘fix’ things, they might shut down.”

 

Validate their emotions.
“You don’t have to agree with everything they say. Simply acknowledging their feelings shows them that you trust their ability to handle challenges.”

 

Chiaputti said by seventh grade, most KO students own phones. The school enforces a strict no-phone policy during the school day, requiring students to turn them in to their advisors each morning. “We believe that it’s important for them to learn to be present and focused,” Chiaputti explains. “It also gives them practice putting the phone down, which is a skill they’ll need throughout life.”

 

After school, though, phone use becomes a family matter. She encourages parents to establish clear boundaries before giving their child a phone and setting expectations for when, where, and how it can be used.“It’s very hard to impose rules after the fact,” she says. “And kids learn best by example. If you’re trying to talk to your child while checking your own phone, the message you’re sending is that the phone is more important.”

 

She also warns parents about unsupervised online engagement, including AI chatbots that can expose children to harmful content. “Technology can’t replace human connection,” she says firmly. “We want students to seek out real, trusted adults when they’re struggling.”

 

KO’s Student Wellness Team includes a wellness director, counselors, and learning specialists, all working together to support students from multiple angles.“There’s often overlap between what I do and what the learning specialists do,” Chiaputti explains. “A student who struggles emotionally might also have learning challenges. Our team approach means we look at the whole child — academically, socially, and emotionally.” Recently, the department welcomed the Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Rich Mutts, to the team with a 360-degree approach. “It can be a challenge for a student to feel that they are different in some way,” she said. “Rich helps the student come to understand themselves in the context of the larger community and to figure out how to contribute to the community. It’s invaluable.”

 

When asked what she hopes her students gain by the end of eighth grade, Chiaputti paused thoughtfully. “It’s different for every child,” she said. “Some students make huge emotional growth in just a few years; others take longer. But what I hope for all of them is a strong sense of self:  that they can say, ‘I know who I am, I know what I need, and I know how to ask for help.’”

 

At KO, wellness isn’t just what we do here. It’s who we are.

 

 

 

 

 

Brenna Chiaputti

Hamilton College B.A.

Trinity College, M.A.

University of Connecticut M.S.W.

 

Brenna Chiaputti has an extensive background in counseling and social-emotional training. She served as a school social worker at The Gilbert School in Winstead, CT, for five years, where she developed social-emotional programming, provided counseling, and facilitated affinity groups. As a clinician at the Family Resource and Development Center in West Hartford, she provided individual, group, and family counseling, utilizing a range of treatment modalities. By partnering with our teachers, Ms. Chiaputti fosters an inclusive climate at the Middle School.