New room helps West Middlesex students 'reset'

Before the start of their summer vacation, students at West Middlesex Jr.-Sr. The high school was able to discover the room that will help them “reset” if they are having a difficult day: the reset room.

Featuring soft colors, warm lighting, comfortable chairs, and other mental health equipment and information, the Reset Room can help students deal with whatever issues they’re facing, whether they’re It’s something as simple as the need to relax for a few minutes or to cope with the loss of a loved one.

West Middlesex students had about a month to try out the Reset Room, with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony taking place on May 24.

“If a student is told to go to the guidance office, then, depending on their needs, we might send them here,” guidance counselor Miriah Oliva said. “Some kids may need it for a while, other times we may have a group here for a few minutes.”

At the start of the new school year, students will be able to use the Reset Room with permission of the counselor.

Since the reset room is located next to the guidance counselor’s office, Oliva said this will help control who uses the room and when.

Oliva herself can also use the room as a space to talk with students in a relaxed setting, and the room could also accommodate group sessions, such as students learning to cope with grief, she said.

Making the Reset Room a reality took at least a year, with Oliva’s predecessor submitting the initial grant application. It then took some time to order and receive the materials, Oliva said.

“It was originally an empty storage room,” Oliva said of the space.

Funding for the hall was made possible by $15,000 from the Community Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio and $3,000 from Penn-Northwest Development Corp., Mercer County’s lead economic development agency.

Among those on hand for the ribbon-cutting was Kaylee Bender, business development manager for Total Business Solutions and a member of Penn-Northwest’s Future Leaders program.

Bender said she was happy to see West Middlesex school officials being proactive when it comes to addressing students’ mental health needs, and added that other school districts should consider consider such an option for their students.

“Kids today are dealing with a lot of stressors and things to worry about compared to when I was a student,” Bender said.

Some of the students who were lucky enough to use the room were also at the ceremony, including Mia Rodgers, who helped film a video for the initial grant application.

“It really helps when something is bothering you, even if you’re only there for a little while,” Rodgers said of the reset room.