On September 2, just a few days before the start of school, 31 student volunteers from Westfield High School’s “Guy and Girl Thing” program were trained by the staff of Imagine, A Center for Coping With Loss, on how to create a more supportive school environment.
Through a grant from the Westfield High School PTSO, the students received six hours of intensive training about grief and loss and the many barriers that keep people from expressing their emotions and reaching out for help. Additionally, they learned strategies for facilitating peer groups and how to be active and empathetic listeners. They will put their knowledge and skills to use not only in their personal relationships but also through facilitating informal “Hangout” sessions which students can attend on various topics such as coping with divorce, the illness or death of a loved one, academic stress, learning disabilities, and more. The “Hangouts” are scheduled to begin for Westfield High School students in October and run throughout the school year on a bi-weekly basis.
“The Guy and Girl Thing” was started by Susan Kolesar, Health teacher at Westfield High School in 2004 to have seniors teach underclassmen about health-related topics. Various activities have been incorporated throughout the years including assemblies, students and teachers sharing their lifestories, retreats, and most notably, the reading and discussion of the “What I Wish I Knew Then…” letters that the seniors write to the underclassmen each year. Health teacher Michelle Spreitzer has been assisting in the programs since 2007. Kevin Everly, who also teaches health, and Paul Valenzano, a guidance counselor at WHS, will be actively involved in overseeing the program as well.
Beyond providing peer support groups to the public, imagine also provides grief education to both students and school staff. This training was led by Imagines’ Connie Palmer, Clinical Training Director at Imagine, Corey Wisler, Grief Recovery Specialist, Nick Breza, and Caroline Snizek.
To learn more about The Guy and Girl Thing program at Westfield High School or to make a donation to help fund “The Guy and Girl Thing” program, contact Susan Kolesar at skolesar@westfieldnjk12.org. To learn more about Imagine or to make a donation, go to www.Imaginenj.org. Information regarding the mental health and suicide prevention trainings offered by Caring Contact can be found at www.caringcontact.org.
(above) Just a few days before the start of school, 31 student volunteers from Westfield High School’s “Guy and Girl Thing” program were trained by the staff of Imagine.
