Amy Rodriguez,
VHS counselor
By SARAH DOOLITTLE
Four Points News
Vandegrift High School is increasing efforts to address the emotional needs of students in the wake of five Leander ISD student suicides since the beginning of the current school year.
LISD Superintendent Dan Troxell emailed families on March 31 in response to student suicides. His message to parents: no one can do it alone. “We know that early identification and intervention of mental health concerns cannot be achieved without support and engagement from the community,” wrote Troxell. “We can help our students by working collaboratively to address mental health concerns, as we know these issues extend beyond the boundaries of our schools and affect those we care about so deeply.”
At Vandegrift, changes are taking place to help address these concerns.
In addition to existing counseling services and staff, two additional counselors will be hired for the next school year, “which will allow us to expand our support and outreach,” said current VHS counselor Amy Rodriguez.
The school also administered the Stanford Survey for Adolescent School Experiences last week May 16-19, thanks to funding from the VHS Parent Teacher Student Association. The survey is part of a nationally-recognized program, created at Stanford University, that allows schools to get a fuller picture of their students’ lives.
