Counselor, Ms. Laci Cox has created a group called Life H.A.C.S. or Healthy Adapting Coping Skills. This group meets in the counseling center conference room, Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:05 to 7:25 and started Sept. 25.

This group is open to all and completely voluntary. Students can attend as many times as they like and leave at any point. This is for students who arrive to school agitated or unfocused or struggle with stress and need some extra coping skills to get through the day.

“I think a lot of our students have anxiety and stress and (I) wanted to give them the tools they needed,” Ms. Cox said.

Ms. Cox wants to give students a calm start to the day. The group goes over breathing techniques for stress throughout the day and life. She knows students who struggle with test stress and anxiety and wants to give them the tools to get through the day.

“If there was a group like this when I was in school it would have helped me,” Ms. Cox said.

Five topics discussed in the group are stress management, anxiety, sadness/depression, addressing negative thoughts, identifying emotions and healthy relationships. Lewis Chastain thinks this group is a great resource to have on hand for students.

“It’s cool because kids have a group they can go for this stuff,” Chastain said.

Two schools, Rockhurst High School and Stevenson High School, have a support group for students that deal with problems such as family stress, grief, and neuro-meditation for a peaceful mind. Mr Bobby Phelps supports the group and thinks it is a good place to learn things that are not taught in class.

“Even if it helps one student, it’s a good thing,” Mr. Phelps said.

Life H.A.C.S. is a safe place for students looking to learn how to handle things throughout the day and in the future. Any student seeking more help with these issues can attend the meetings or schedule an appointment with their counselor at https://www.fortosage.net/Page/328 for a private meeting.