North Side Primary School Gets “Chill Room” for Social Emotional Regulation

Ellwood City Area School District’s North Side Primary School now has a place where students can “chill.”

More than a hangout, the Chill Room has a specific purpose for promoting positive social emotional awareness.

Debbie Wiech, the district’s k-2 school counselor and k-12 community liaison, said the room is meant to help students regulate emotions. The room is part of the district’s cognitive behavioral plan and goes along with the district’s positive action curriculum.

“We are teaching kids how to regulate emotions,” Wiech said. “To be able to get out of their heads and work through what they are feeling.”

The Chill Room was made possible by a Highmark Foundation grant of $15,000, which the district matched to provide the calming, relaxing room.

Its specific purpose is to be a sensory area for when emotions are running high or can also be used to reward students for good behavior.

“The room offers a safe space for students to be happy, mad, sad, or whatever they feel and to regulate those feelings,” Wiech said.

Described as calming and relaxing, the room provides plenty of sensory stimulation. When students walk into the room, there is immediately a different vibe from the classroom. Lights are dimmed, there are sensory electronic devices, bubble tanks that go along the walls for a soothing effect, a corner seat with mirrors and bubbles, voice activated lights that get brighter as voices get louder, floor mats made of gel, a nesting swing, a crash mat, and other items that allow the students to use physical abilities like a soft balance beam and small fidget “devices.” Many of the items are tactile and some are strictly for visual stimulation/soothing.

Wiech said the pandemic provided her the time to be able to explore options for the district to add to their positive action curriculum as well as grant writing.

So, far according to Wiech, the room has been well received.

“The kids love the room,” she said.

Wiech said the room will undergo a little more work including painting and determining the rules. Teachers will also participate in training. She looks forward to seeing the impact the room has on the students.

“We want them to be able to calm themselves,” she said. “Kids do not know how to regulate. We must be able to provide them the capability to do that.  These days the kids are over scheduled, and the parents are over scheduled. We don’t have the stamina for all of it following the pandemic. Calm is good. We’re not looking for Zen just looking for regulation.”

Wiech said although the room is new, the theme behind it is not new.

It ties into what we are already doing with the cognitive behavioral atmosphere and positive action plan.