The week of November 11th at WCHS was Mental Health Awareness week. November as a whole is Mental Health Awareness month, and this was the was WCHS was implementing self care into the students’ schedules.

On Monday, students and staff wore lime green to show their support for the cause. Even ribbons were handed out in first period so that everybody had some of the color on them.

“Awareness is so important for topics like this,” senior Elizabeth Kronthal said. “Even just wearing a color can get people more invested in learning about how to take care of each other and themselves.”

Tuesday’s tech- free atmosphere, along with the therapy dogs, showed students ways to improve their mental health. Studies show that lowering screen time directly lead to an increase in happiness and a decrease in stress levels. Also, dogs specifically trained to reduce anxiety and stress in people are proven very effective.

“My favorite part of the week was the dogs at lunch,” senior Danielle Miller said. “I always rely on my dog to cheer me up, and I was so happy to see that opportunity be given to students that don’t have a dog at home.”

Wellness Wednesday that week was the same school wide; every class listened to videos from celebrities that shuffle with mental illnesses. 

“It didn’t expect to get much out of the Wellness Wednesday activity,” Kronthal said. “I definitely misjudged it, as the stories told were much more impactful and relevant than I had thought they would be.”

Many teachers were incredibly proud of WCHS for this week, and hoped to continue this culture of awareness in the future.

“I really appreciated the time and effort that was put into organizing the week,” Tyler, a WCHS health teacher, said. “Mrs. Oristian and her team really thought about what they could bring to our students that would benefit their health and well-being.”

The therapy dogs were back on Thursday, along with the daily mental health tip that they had been broadcasting everyday. 

“Not only are therapy dogs super sweet, they can also have a power impact on someone’s physical and mental health,” Tyler said. “Therapy dogs can help reduce anxiety, provide comfort, and promote movement and physical activity.”

Overall, this week was incredibly important, and with the combination of this and Wellness Wednesday, it is obvious of the care that WCHS puts in to its’ students’ health.