If students of WMS are wondering what mental health club is doing this year Ms. Acheson, the WMS SAC counselor, has shared her passion about the mental health club and what they will do for the 2025-2026 school year.

Ms Acheson said, “I have tons of activities for this year, some a little different from last year. We’ve already done sucicide prevention things. We had teal and purple day, we gave out stickers, we gave out information and I went to 7 different classes. We are also doing things for Mental Health Day, Mental Health Awareness Month, National Counseling Month, Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month, Women’s History and Women’s Mental Health Months, and I want to do Men’s Mental Health too.”

She also emphasized, “I love the mental health awareness month event. It was big last year but it is going to be bigger next year.”

Ms Acheson also explained how she can help kids, “I deal with things on a different scale. I have a bit more flexibility to give time for individua , generally I meet with students about anxiety, depression, conflict in the home, suicidal ideation, self interest behaviors, safety in general and helping student advocate for themselves.”

The participants in Mental Health Club shared their excitement. Allison Zuber, shared what she thinks they are going to do. She said, “I think we’re going to do a lot of activities with the school, probably a fair this year.”

Zuber continued to explain how she wants to take on more of a leadership role,“I could be a leader in this club because I can put more effort in it and I actually think of it as something that equals what I do after school.”

Zuber also said, “This year I know we are going to be selling things at the lunches and I think we are going to be doing things in Women’s History Month events like we did last year and the big event at the end of the year.”

When students go to the big event in May they will see eighth grader Gabby Tonelli.  Tonelli is a passionate member of the team and she said, “I feel like in this club to be a leader you have to share your ideas with the club to make the events better for students.  I’m excited  for the big event in May because I get to run an art therapy station if it all works out.” 

Tonelli explained how the club has a communal feel to it, “I joined because of my friend Allison Zuber and because my friends are in this club.”

Gabby Rodriguez is an eighth grader at WMS emphasized the importance of safety, “I felt like it was a safe environment to talk about the struggles the people and I go through. I want to connect with other people.”  She is very excited about the programs that they will be doing this year.

Ms. Acheson said she needs more volunteers and students should go see her on the first floor in Room 103 to get a permission slip.