When finals come around, the endless cramming sessions for possibly every class can get overwhelming.

“A lot of times the stress that I feel get heightened because it feels as though the teachers and administrators don’t acknowledge these feelings, especially during finals,” said Canton senior Gina Dossantos.

The P-CEP counseling staff was ready, however, and treated students the week before finals with Beating the Winter Blues Week.

“Tense-less Tuesday,” included music being played during passing time and free massages for staff members. “Worry-free Wednesday,” consisted of fun with counselors in the cafeterias of each building, pet therapy in Salem’s large conference room, and yoga during all lunches in the Salem auditorium. “Thoughtful Thursday” feastured counselors visiting classrooms to encourage students to give thoughtful words and deeds to their peers. And on “Feel-good Friday,” students posted positive messages all over campus.

Dossantos said, “Stress-less week really shows that they care for our well being and not just that we pass our exams.”

“It was a great break from stressing about finals,” said Megan Losey, Canton sophomore. “It was cool to come in to school and have fun for a little bit.”

Samantha Flucht, Canton senior, said, “It’s a really great initiative and helps raise awareness for mental health issues, and I hope it extends past the week and we continue to do things like this throughout the year.”

“Stress-less week was a nice addition before finals,” said Salem senior Isabella Quiroz. “Sometimes with there being so many kids on campus, it’s hard to be sure the counselors are actually there to help you, but with this, it really shows they care and want to help us.”