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Stress is a major factor in many students’ lives. Above are some facts about stress.

Stress is been a very common factor in the lives of junior high students. Stress not only affects their lives but also the lives of the people around them.

Clay Moore, ‘28, thought the end of the first quarter was okay but stressful.
“I didn’t have much extra time because of sports, ended up rushing homework and had no time for friends,” Moore said.

This is Moore’s first year in color guard in the marching band. Moore mentioned that both school and sports stress her out.
“School work is hard, so that stresses me out and because I have sports,” Moore said. “I have no time to do the stressful schoolwork so that also stresses me out.”

One way Moore likes to counteract her stress is to take warm showers. She feels that stress can hold a lot of people back.

“[I think] we usually don’t do things we want to because we get stressed,” Moore said.

Students are not the only people at WHHS who experience stress. Becky Junewick, a junior high counselor, shared that she also feels stress.
“Unfortunately, a lot of it is just stuff that’s outside of my control, and just the sheer number of students that are out on my case load, it’s over 350 students that I have, it can sometimes just be overwhelming,” Junewick said.

While Junewick didn’t necessarily choose to counsel junior high students, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I like working with the seventh and eighth graders because it’s just a really rough transition time… I appreciate where seventh and eighth graders are coming from,” Junewick said.

Junewick and others call junior high students in this developing state the ‘babies.’
“They are the babies of the building. I would say ‘leave the babies with me. I’ll keep the babies.’ Everyone else wants the older students. I’ll get the babies,” Junewick said.

Junewick thinks first quarter was a hard quarter.
“I think the seventh grade students are struggling to adjust to the expectations and standards of behavior. In general, I think part of it is that Walnut’s an overwhelming place to come into so I think the first quarter has been quite a struggle to adjust for some of our seventh graders specifically,” Junewick said.

One way Junewick and William Harris, another junior high counselor, worked to counteract stress levels was to meet with every seventh grader face to face and talk about their stress level and let them know they have a safe space if need be.“We have some programming in place to help just in terms of classroom lessons about managing your academics and creating plans so that you don’t feel overwhelmed and stressed,” Junewick said.

Junewick also thinks that WHHS needs to figure out a way for not just counselors, but the whole staff to address the stress that the students are experiencing.
“I think that it has to be kind of a school-wide thing rather than just the counselors,” Junewick said.

Junewick shared some tips she has to counteract stress.
“I think just having a schedule is helpful,” Junewick said. “I think a lot of times students don’t have a schedule for when they’re not in school. Their day is so structured that it feels like [they] don’t want structure any other time. But sometimes it is helpful just if you know what’s coming next… just creating that time where you’re resting and doing things that you like to do but trying to balance the things that you have to do with the things that you like to do.”

Junewick wants WHHS students to know that the counseling department is there for them.
“[I want to] make sure to make you feel comfortable walking in [my] door,” Junewick said.