Former Rocori Teacher Who Survived School Shooting Develops New App to Help Improve Student Mental Health

(KNSI) – Former Rocori teacher and elementary principal Jerry Sparby is back in the classroom at age 74, trying to improve student mental health.

Sparby says the idea for the HuddLUp program and app comes from conversations with the teenage school shooter who killed fellow students Seth Bartell and Aaron Rollins in September of 2003. John Jason McLaughlin was 15 years old at the time.

McLaughlin was found guilty of first and second-degree murder. He is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole beginning in 2036.

“I spent quite a few visits with Jason in jail trying to understand how in God’s name that this awful event happened. Jason was invisible. Jason was left out. Jason wasn’t beat up but he was left out and he never had friends.”

Sparby explains the program is needed more than ever as being pent up during the pandemic pushed kids onto screens for entertainment and to alleviate boredom.

“The thing is even if you play online games with other kids, it’s not about being in their presence. If we want brain development, if we want to develop the whole child, it’s about engaging, it’s about helping them problem solve, it’s about dealing with conflict resolution, it’s about understanding each other.”

The HuddLUp program helps eliminate “invisible kids,” according to Sparby who adds it isn’t just about eliminating bullying to improve student mental health.

Sparby explains the HuddLUp program starts small, focusing on the basics of breathing deeply with help of the diaphragm. Then it extends to play, either competitive or more casual. HuddLUp is kicking off an awareness campaign with the hopes of attracting state funding by demonstrating public support for its ideas.

The program is designed for kindergarten through 12th grade, but Sparby says the primary focus, for now, is on elementary education. Learn more about the HuddLUp program here.

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