THUNDER BAY -- There are times when students just need to get a hold on their mental health and take a moment to chill.
Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute students and staff celebrated the second of eight local Chill Rooms in local schools on Monday.
The Wellness Group Campaign partnership between the Lakehead District Public School Board, the Children’s Centre Foundation Thunder Bay and Bell Canada emerged from cyclist Clara Hughes’ ride across Canada in 2014. The first Chill Room opened at Superior Vocational Collegiate Institute earlier this year.
“Students need a place that they can feel supported as well as a space they can just go to de-escalate, relax, calm down, bring themselves back to a spot where they feel comfortable and calm to be able to return back to school in order to be successful,” said foundation coordinator Alana Bencharski.
“These rooms build that opportunity for the students as a place they can go and just feel supported.”
Westgate students met monthly to develop their own ideas for their Wellness Room, which include shag carpeting, a bubble tube light and wallpaper depicting a nature scene of birch trees.
The room in the former Tigers’ Den student’s council office will be used for students to de-escalate emotions, emotional group work and one-on-one meetings with outside mental health counselors.
“You don’t see it in the hallways because students who have this problem will go to the bathroom or somewhere they feel comfortable going,” said Grade 10 student Kierra Halow.
“You do see closer to exams, more students start to gain more stress with exams and you realize, maybe they do need some help or somewhere to go.”
