The Whitehall-Coplay Communities That Care group met April 12 to discuss students’ attitudes toward school and other priorities.

One of the CTC’s primary focuses revolves around the students’ connection to school and their education, so Denise Continenza, CTC coordinator, met with students at Whitehall High School March 25 to hold a focus group. The goal of the focus group was to find out from the students directly what their concerns and challenges may be. She asked the students what they like and dislike about being a student at WHS and why they may or may not want to go to school each day. She also asked them about their extracurricular activities, what they do after school and their plans and concerns for after graduation.

One of the biggest concerns among the students is stress. These students feel pressured to be involved in as many activities as possible while keeping up with their schoolwork. High school student Hannah Miller noted they are constantly going without a break to decompress. She mentioned between school and her extracurricular activities, she is sometimes at the high school 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and then must go home and do homework. Some students take extra advanced placement courses as well. This pace is causing some students to burn out and have stress-induced episodes.

Michael Harakal Jr., Whitehall mayor, reflected back to his days as a volleyball official. He remembered seeing students during tournaments spending all their downtime doing homework.

“They had no time to just be kids,” he said.

Chad Stefanyak, guidance counselor at WHS, reported that while we feel the need to fill in the downtime in our days, our brains do not naturally like multitasking. It is unnatural for us to stretch ourselves so thin, and that contributes to the stress we feel. It was noted the increase in technology and cellphones have contributed to this feeling. Stefanyak said the students have no opportunity to reflect or absorb information nowadays. Everything is right in front of them and gone just as quickly. It is a nonstop jump from one thing to the next, leaving the brain scrambling to keep up and absorb as much information as possible.

It was also noted that drama plays a part in the students’ dissatisfaction.

“It’s not just classwork. You go to school with other kids. With kids comes drama and bullying,” Miller noted.

She mentioned when you pile the social stresses on top of the classwork, homework, extracurriculars, home life, etc., it becomes overwhelming.

The increase in cellphone usage has contributed to the bullying as well. Michelle Khouri, district registrar, noted students have no privacy anymore. Everything is out on social media and can be used against them. School board member William Fonzone mentioned it’s easier to say things over the phone or via texting than through face-to-face interactions.

Fonzone asked about “screen time” and if it would be beneficial for the students to not be permitted phones in school. Miller mentioned she spends too much time on her phone and would be more productive without the constant distractions of a cellphone.

“I would probably make more friends, too. I don’t know a lot of the kids in my classes,” she reflected.

Stefanyak noted it would probably be a relief for some students to not have the pressures and distractions involved with having the cellphone, so they could concentrate and focus on something else instead of feeling pulled in different directions.

It was noted this focus group brought valuable insight to the CTC and school personnel.

“Our students are telling us what they need,” Stefanyak said.

Another topic of conversation revolved around high school alumni. Stefanyak noted they are thinking of celebrating milestone graduations during the annual homecoming events. They would want to honor the five-year, 10-year, 15-year, etc., anniversaries. This would also assist in bringing more people into town for the festivities. He noted they wanted it to be more of a “homecoming” in that these graduates would be coming home to celebrate.

The main question was how best to contact these graduating classes and spread the word. Fonzone questioned whether there was an alumni association in the district. Harakal brought up the point that often it is the class president or other officers of that graduating year who get the word out. Khouri and Stefanyak mentioned a lot of the contact is made over Facebook and other social media outlets.

Harakal said he thought it was a great idea to celebrate the milestone years. He wants to build more of a community feel in the township and get more people connected to each other.

“I’m sure many graduates don’t realize where Whitehall is now with getting out in the community and the great things the students are doing,” Fonzone noted.

The CTC next meets 8:30 a.m. May 17 at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3355 MacArthur Road, Whitehall.