Counseling
Mission Statement
The Mountainside Counseling Department will support a school-wide AVID model and an IB for all mentality while advocating for all students to become well-rounded, capable, thriving adults who can confidently achieve individually defined success. Counselors are leaders in the development of increased opportunities and an inclusive school culture.
Mental Health Resources
We all have mental health. Mental health is about our feelings, thinking, emotions and moods. Your mental health is as important as our physical health. One way to manage our mental health is talk about it with someone you trust.
Stress is normal, but too much increases the risk for health problems like depression. Small improvements in sleep, nutrition, exercise and coping skills can help us to better manage stress and achieve good mental health.
MHS school counselors and social workers are a resource to support the mental health and well-being of students. Students may contact them for support for themselves or someone they are concerned about by stopping by the Counseling Office, calling and/or emailing the counselor or social worker. We encourage parents/guardians to call or email the appropriate counseling staff for assistance.
Mountainside students have access to the Mindfulness Room during the school day. It is a calming, safe space to take a brief break from class when needed.
BSD Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Resources
BHS School Based Health Center with Mental Health Counseling
Contact Your Counselor
Resources
Academic Supports
Stress Management Strategies
“Rest is a tool”
- Sleep is important to help you stay positive and alert in school.
- Some research even says that when we study then sleep, we remember things better.
Keep Yourself Healthy
- Eating a balanced diet, exercising and avoiding drugs and alcohol are all habits that keep both your mind and body healthy.
Develop your relaxation and coping skills:
- Stressful things like tests are a part of high school. The good news is that there are lots of ways to help you manage the stress you may feel.
- Some students exercise, others follow a spiritual practice; some students make lists of to-do items, others journal about what is bugging them.
- Find the skills that work for you; and, if you need more ideas, talk with your school counselor!
Build your “go-to” team:
- Everyone needs a “go-to” team of people to talk to when they are feeling stressed.
- Your parents, siblings, relatives, counselor, teachers, coaches, and friends could all be part of that team.
- The key is to keep in mind at least 3 people that you know you could go to when you need to talk about a frustration. Then, when the time comes that you need support, you will already know who you could talk to! (Plus, they are the people that will want to help you celebrate your successes too!)
Study Skills
Preparation and Routine:
- Plan to do homework or studying every day.
- Set a time limit for how long you will study or do homework at any one time.
- Take breaks! For every 50 minutes of homework or study time, take a 10-minute break. Move, get out in nature, or be active during these breaks.
- Have a place that is your study and homework spot.
- Utilize study and homework sessions at school.
- Have a snack. Studying takes energy, so give your brain some fuel!
Mindsets:
- Be positive.
- Set a goal for the homework time each day. For example: what one thing do you for sure have to get done during this time?
Behaviors:
- Homework: have a strategy for which homework to work on first. Some students start with the shortest assignments first. This helps them feel accomplished, and encouraged to do more. Other students start with the bigger/longer projects when they feel like that have more energy and can be more productive. Choose the strategy that works for you and stick with it!
- If your mind is wandering, or you feel like you can’t focus, go do a small task or chore. This will get you moving and that momentum can help you re-focus on your homework when you come back to it. Tasks could be: clean your room, make your bed, organize your binder or backpack, etc. Keep the activity to 10-15 minutes.
- For studying: start by reviewing your class notes. Make sure to work with the notes in a new way. Examples: make flashcards of key vocabulary in your notes, highlight key points and then write a summary paragraph at the end of your notes, add questions for anything that is unclear to you and make sure to ask your teacher about it next class period. Next, re-read any class materials (textbook, novels, articles, etc.) and add information to your notes. You might find more vocabulary words, or more key points, or an answer to one of your questions that you can add to your notes.
Test Taking Strategies
Repetition:
- The week before the test spend 20-30 minutes per day reviewing key points for the material that is going to be tested.
- You can use flashcards, lists, or class notes to make sure you are reviewing the unit’s key points.
Read then Sleep:
- The night before your test, make sure you read over your notes, key point flashcards or lists right before you go to sleep.
- Research shows that whatever we focus on last, right before we go to sleep, our brains will keep processing all night.
Rehearse:
- One way to get more comfortable taking tests is to rehearse being in the test-taking setting during your study time at home.
- Set-up a study space that has just a chair and desk without any gadgets (like cell phones, computers, or TV) around you.
- Use a pen or pencil that can become your “lucky test taking” pen or pencil.
- Time yourself for 60-90 minutes doing a focused activity. If you finish your homework before that time is up, you might practice answering math questions for that amount of time, or free writing about the key points from your flashcards.
Relax:
- One way to help the answers flow from your brain to the paper is to help yourself relax at the beginning of the test before you start answering questions.
- You can start by taking 3-5 deep breaths before you read the first question.
- Also, if your teacher allows you to chew gum, try chewing gum during the test. Some research says that chewing gum can relieve stress and may even help blood flow to your brain so that it is easier to answer questions.
Review:
- On the day of your test, take your flashcards, study guide or key point lists with you to review on the bus, at lunch or whenever you have free time during the day.
Time Management Tips
Goal Setting:
- Setting both short-term and long-term goals keeps you productive.
- If your activities line up with your goals, keep doing them. If they don’t line up with your goals, rethink whether you should be doing them.
- Set goals for the day, week, and month. For example, set a goal of one task to complete by the end of the day, and set a goal about how to use your homework time after school.
Prioritization:
- When trying to decide how to start a bunch of tasks, spend time identifying what is most urgent. Ask yourself: what is due the soonest? What will take the most time to complete? What am I most worried about? Which tasks overlap? The answers to those questions will tell you what to work on first.
- Also, spend time deciding which tasks can or should really wait for another time, so they don’t draw away your attention from the more urgent tasks.
Self-Awareness:
- Know when you work best. Some people are morning people; others are night owls.
- On weekends, use the time of day that is best for you to do academic work.
Motivation:
- If your mind is wandering, or you feel like you can’t focus, go do a small task or chore. This will get you moving and that momentum can help you re-focus on your homework when you come back to it. Tasks could be cleaning your room, making your bed, organizing your binder or backpack, etc.
- Keep the activity to 10-15 minutes so that you get refocused, but don’t start procrastinating from your original homework or studying.
Adapted from Coaching Positive Performance