The mission of the WHS Counseling and Career Center is to design, implement, and maintain programs that align with the educational philosophies of WHS and the Washougal School District. These programs help every student develop competencies in academic achievement, personal and social development, and college and career planning.
To learn more about the information and services we offer to make your student’s experience at WHS successful please explore this website, and the Washougal High School Counseling and Career Facebook page.
COVID-19 SUPPORTS
Dear WHS students and families,
We are thinking about you as we proceed during this unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Six weeks off of school is a long time. And while it might feel like a bit of freedom in the first few days, that will wear off. Since there could be more changes in the future, as our state is making decisions rapidly to ensure a slowdown of the spread of the virus, we encourage you to focus on self-care and the things that you do have control over. There ARE many things over which you have control.
We want to address the importance of taking care of your mental health during this time of uncertainty. With that in mind, we have included some resources below:
- Good information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on managing stress and anxiety, during the COVID-19 event as well as a lot of information for parents on how to help their students: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html
- While it is important to not overdo it on watching or reading the news about the COVID-19 Coronavirus, it is important to understand the facts from reputable sources, like the CDC here and the World Health Organization (WHO). These are the two best sources for accurate scientific information.
- Take the recommended precautions seriously. Life will get back to normal if we ALL wash our hands frequently and practice social distancing, whether we are sick or not. Clark County Public Health Novel Coronavirus
- Article from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
- Teentalk: A “warmline” offering nonjudgmental peer-to-peer support for a variety of topics, including but not limited to: depression, anxiety, LGBTQ+, family and friends, school, STIs and health issues, and sports.
- Youth Mobile Crisis Unit: 800-626-8137 – Available 7 days a week 9:00am-11:00pm
- Professional mental health services offered directly to youth experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Staff will go to the home to identify, assess, treat and stabilize the situation and reduce imminent risk of danger to the youth and to others. Offered Free of Charge, regardless of insurance or income level
- Teacher who survived Hurricane Katrina has this Advice (article)
- The Science of Happiness Podcasts
- This is a collection of podcasts dealing with a variety of topics including, but not limited to: anxiety, being good to yourself, setting priorities, gratefulness, bridging divides with others, laughing, being grounded, overcoming fear, the act of forgiveness, words that cause happiness, dealing with uncertainty, and many more. On average, they are each about 20 minutes long.
- Download a mindfulness app (to help w/anxiety). Here are some free ones for teens, but there are many more that you can search for: *some apps have a charge for upgrades:
- Calm, Moodtrack Social Diary, Moods, MindShift, Stop Breathe & Think, HeadSpace
- Here is a link to Humble Warriors Yoga on YouTube, because our physical health is so intertwined with our mental and emotional health. Yoga can be accessible to anyone, regardless of gender, size, age or fitness level. There is a lot more yoga you can find online. Try it, you might find that you like it, and that it makes you feel good.
- Engage in a mindfulness creative art exercise like Zentangle. Here’s a video from YouTube for beginners: Zentangle for beginners
- Don’t let BOREDOM take you down! Just because school is not in session, doesn’t mean you can’t keep your brain sharp. Find educational things to explore online, read a good book, go outside and walk, run, shoot hoops, or go for a hike if you can get to a trailhead. Follow a suggested schedule from Khan Academy. Either way, keeping your brain active is good for your mental health!
- Put some structure in your day. Don’t stay up all night and sleep all day. Try and eat well, get some exercise every day, and don’t be on social media all day. Do positive things to help you cope with difficult feelings or pass the day. Be helpful around the house. Write in a journal, catch up on missing assignments, take a hot bath, walk, draw, color, sing, dance, jump, build something! Help others – this is a GREAT way to feel better! Remember that we CARE ABOUT YOU. We ARE thinking about you. Our school and district is working hard to make sure that you will be academically prepared to end this school year in the best way possible. You are important and you matter.
We look forward to seeing you back in the halls at WHS
Staff List:
Ms. Melissa Walker, Counselor for students with the last names: (A – G)
Ms. Linda Jones, Counselor for students with the last names: (H – O)
Mr. Christina Mackey-Greene, Counselor for students with the last names: (P – Z) For email purposes, remove (-) and add(.) between mackey and greene
Mrs. Michele Mederos, Counselor for Freshman Academy and Excelsior On-Track Programs:
Mrs. Julie Scott, Psychologist
Mrs. Deana DeGrande, Registrar
TBD, Secretary
We have removed email links from this page to prevent spammers from using it to send junk mail to our district staff.
If you wish to send mail to a staff person, please compose a new message to the staff member’s name using this formula: first.last@washougalsd.org where “first” is their first name and “last” is their last name.
UPCOMING EVENTS/REMINDERS & INFORMATION:
