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McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

Last month, the CDC released a Youth Risk Behavior study that shows female and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning adolescents display a startling increase in mental health challenges compared to recent years.

Teen girls ‘engulfed in growing wave of sadness,’ new national data finds

Vanessa Moreno, News Editor March 14, 2023

Adolescent female and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning students display increasing mental health challenges as hopelessness, suicidality and sexual violence reach new highs, CDC Youth Risk Behavior...

Point-counterpoint: Worth the stress?

Point-counterpoint: Worth the stress?

October 25, 2022

Every year in the fall, MCHS juniors take the Preliminary SAT. Sometimes freshmen and sophomores take versions of the test, and sometimes eighth graders visit the school to take the PSAT 8. This year,...

Many seniors have been waiting their whole childhood for graduation day. Other seniors, though, don’t feel as confident or certain about their path after high school and may even be scared to leave high school.

Fear of the unknown

Kyla Henige, Features Editor May 13, 2022

Walking into school freshman year, students are told “these next four years will fly by.” Rolling their eyes and chuckling, the freshman pay no attention.  Flash forward to their senior year, and...

For many students who have struggled with addiction and depression, medication is a helpful way of managing mental illness. The journey toward diagnosis and prescription, though, can take an emotional toll.

Essay: You are not alone

Kyla Henige, Features Editor January 21, 2022

A student smiles, waving, and socializing with all her peers in the hallways. The student is in all honors classes, participates in school events and is always in a good mood. Her life seems perfect to...

Counselor Sarah Sadler works at her computer in her office in West Campus. She and  counseling intern Jenna McLaughlin have launched a workshop series to offer support to students with anxiety.

Weekly anxiety workshops meet on Zoom

Joe Ndu, Staff Writer February 23, 2021

Among all of the chaos of the pandemic, remote learning and the hybrid schedule, the importance of mental health often gets lost. West Campus counselor Sarah Sadler and counseling intern Jenna McLaughlin...

School can cause several stresses for students including but not limited to frustration, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. These stressors may warrant change within the school system.

Opinion: The school system is to blame for student stress

Alayna Majkrzak, Staff Writer January 8, 2021

Why does school: exist, start so early, make me sad, cause depression, make me so tired, and make me cry. These are the auto-complete suggestions in Google when you type in “why does school...” Students...

Surviving the pandemic means more than resisting COVID-19. It also means taking care of oneself while remaining socially distant, keeping in touch with family and friends, and reaching out when you need help.

Opinion: How to take care of yourself as the pandemic persists

Alayna Trimingham, Staff Writer December 2, 2020

A student lays in their bed, dreading the day ahead of them. With schoolwork, jobs, and family issues, it can be difficult to handle it all, especially with depression and/or anxiety looming over their...

Finals have been a tradition at many schools for generations, but these end-of-semester exams only serve to stress out students. What’s worse is that they aren’t the most effective tests.

Opinion: Stressing the test

Alayna Trimingham, Opinions Editor December 16, 2019

A student wakes up and hits their alarm. They don’t believe it is actually morning because it feels like they just fell asleep, and they did. The student has been up all night memorizing the material...

Elle is MCHS's advice columnist. Email her at mchs.ask.elle@gmail.com.

Ask Elle: Winter blues

Elle Smith, Advice Colummnist December 3, 2019

Dear Elle: During the summer, most of my friends know me as someone who is fun, outgoing, and loves to go on adventures. But now that it's getting colder and darker day by day, I'm finding it harder and...

Taking too many Advanced Placement classes can be stressful and overwhelming for many students, but can also help students develop both academic skills and behaviors that will serve them well after high school.

The AP lifestyle

Jared Bysiek, Features Editor November 21, 2019

Late one school night, a student is hard at work, cramming to get as much as she can studied and finished. It has been a grueling month, and her classes have started to take a toll on her. With Lady Gaga...

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