Woodstock is here to help

Staff Writer: Abbey Skouras  

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic people across the U.S. had to quarantine and disconnect from work, friends, sports, and social gatherings, with such a big disconnect depression and anxiety starts to linger.  

With this pandemic we are out of place and our entire routine has been thrown off, causing depression rates to be higher than we have seen in years. 

A study done by the CDC reported, “To assess mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the pandemic, representative panel surveys were conducted among adults aged ≥18 years across the United States during June 24–30, 2020. Overall, 40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition, including symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder (30.9%) …” 

It is particularly important to reach out if you are battling anxiety or depression during this time and for you to know you are not alone. Text a friend, tell a parent, or even reach out to a family member or sibling.  

“Reach out and find someone to talk to in and outside of school. It is important to feel like you have a space to talk and process whether that is a trusted teacher, parent, adult family member, or therapist. Make sure you have at least one trusted adult at school and outside school,” advises the Woodstock high school counselor Mrs. Hillary Nichols.  

Woodstock is implementing a brand-new homeroom curriculum (Social Emotional Learning or SEL) about how to work on your mental health and teach you how to take care of your wellbeing. Your homeroom teacher has PowerPoints and activities for you to participate in.  

“We are hoping to generate authentic and meaningful discussion about topics focused on developing the whole individual. We understand the importance of Social and Emotional Learning development in addition to the content learning going on both in and out of the building. The focus is on connecting with students, so they know that we are trusted adults who they can come to in times of need,” explains Assistant Principal Mrs. Biello. 

Our counselors are also doing Microsoft Teams meetings to check in with student who are currently virtual. Woodstock is doing everything they can to make students feel safe and at ease with our new circumstances.  

Our counselors are always available to talk to you and have an open-door policy. “Students never need an appointment to stop by. We have an open-door policy. If they want to make an appointment, then they can stop by during their lunch, email, or call so we can carve out uninterrupted time to make sure all questions are answered. But as always, if it is an emergency, come right away!” added Mrs. Nichols.  

You can find your counselor on the Woodstock website; they correspond with your last name. The counselors are in the office in across from the lunchroom.  

Woodstock High School is here to support our students who are struggling, and we are always here for you!  

Credits: Felix Richter (author), Statista.com

Symptoms of mental health problem spike during Coronavirus.

Depression rates affecting women during Coronavirus who are unable to go out.