Lack of Funding Closes Down Wellness Center
Staff and students disappointed with the removal of the supportive resource.
By Jisela Negrete
Staff and students disappointed with the removal of the supportive resource.
By Jisela Negrete
In 2019, Pioneer applied for a Coordinated School Health Grant, which paid for the Wellness Center on campus for almost four years. This resource is no longer available to students as of the end of the 2022-23 school year because of the lack of funding for the program.
Over 1,900 students visited the Wellness Center throughout the 2022-23 school year, dealing with anxiety, stress, suicidal ideation and peer and family struggles. The Wellness Center provided kinetic sand, arts and crafts, books related to mental health, journals, letter writing and counseling provided by a licensed psychologist as well as the staff members.
With the impact the Wellness Center had on the school, most students like Lauren Ramsey, 10, were upset with this news.
“I was honestly super devastated because we had (the Wellness Center) for so long and the first year I got to have it was also the last,” said Ramsey.
When experiencing difficulties, teenagers don't always have a place or someone to turn to. If the mental health resource was reinstated, students felt that they would be more likely to look forward to attending school again.
“(Students) will be able to succeed more socially, academically, mentally, etc. They will have a reason to want to go, I remember looking forward to the next conversations I would have with the therapists and it put me in a good mood to be in school, everyone was so nice,” said Henessi Munoz, 11.
Although the Wellness Center has been discontinued, the school still applies mental health practices, such as the social emotional learning program and five- minute walk passes provided in each classroom.
“We certainly are prioritizing student social emotional wellness and so all of our counselors also have been trained so they can do assessments for student risk,” said Principal Brad Craycroft.
Teachers try to create a welcoming environment where students feel as comfortable as possible at school. One way history teacher Lillian Luu does this is by giving students fidget toys, encouraging a five minute walk and using the students' correct pronouns.
“I feel like teachers, we have to wear a lot of hats. We're there teaching, but we're also there as a counselor, sometimes a step-in as a parent. And so it's a huge burden to put on teachers,” said Luu.
English teacher Stephanie Harvey was upset to see this resource taken not only from their students, but also from teachers who need that space as well.
“I really relied on that space not only for my students but also for me, you know, if I needed to step away from my own classroom or just my own life for a second,” said Harvey.
This school year, the academic counselors have received training on how to handle mental health crises so students can now consult with them about mental health. Pioneer admin is currently working to find other solutions for funding in the future.
“We applied for a grant along with a couple of other schools. Then we also reached out to Almaden Valley Counseling which we already have on campus, to add more staff,” said Craycroft.
Over 1,900 students visited the Wellness Center throughout the 2022-23 school year, dealing with anxiety, stress, suicidal ideation and peer and family struggles. The Wellness Center provided kinetic sand, arts and crafts, books related to mental health, journals, letter writing and counseling provided by a licensed psychologist as well as the staff members.
With the impact the Wellness Center had on the school, most students like Lauren Ramsey, 10, were upset with this news.
“I was honestly super devastated because we had (the Wellness Center) for so long and the first year I got to have it was also the last,” said Ramsey.
When experiencing difficulties, teenagers don't always have a place or someone to turn to. If the mental health resource was reinstated, students felt that they would be more likely to look forward to attending school again.
“(Students) will be able to succeed more socially, academically, mentally, etc. They will have a reason to want to go, I remember looking forward to the next conversations I would have with the therapists and it put me in a good mood to be in school, everyone was so nice,” said Henessi Munoz, 11.
Although the Wellness Center has been discontinued, the school still applies mental health practices, such as the social emotional learning program and five- minute walk passes provided in each classroom.
“We certainly are prioritizing student social emotional wellness and so all of our counselors also have been trained so they can do assessments for student risk,” said Principal Brad Craycroft.
Teachers try to create a welcoming environment where students feel as comfortable as possible at school. One way history teacher Lillian Luu does this is by giving students fidget toys, encouraging a five minute walk and using the students' correct pronouns.
“I feel like teachers, we have to wear a lot of hats. We're there teaching, but we're also there as a counselor, sometimes a step-in as a parent. And so it's a huge burden to put on teachers,” said Luu.
English teacher Stephanie Harvey was upset to see this resource taken not only from their students, but also from teachers who need that space as well.
“I really relied on that space not only for my students but also for me, you know, if I needed to step away from my own classroom or just my own life for a second,” said Harvey.
This school year, the academic counselors have received training on how to handle mental health crises so students can now consult with them about mental health. Pioneer admin is currently working to find other solutions for funding in the future.
“We applied for a grant along with a couple of other schools. Then we also reached out to Almaden Valley Counseling which we already have on campus, to add more staff,” said Craycroft.