NEWS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2021
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
Social workers aid Hermiston School District students
Moore, Medina and
Smith meet with
youngsters, seek
solutions to problems
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
For more than a year,
Hermiston School Dis-
trict social workers have
been meeting with students
and their families. Meeting
one-on-one with students,
the social workers counsel
young people about men-
tal health. Also, the social
workers meet with the stu-
dents and their families
about resources to improve
their lives.
Tricia Mooney, Hermis-
ton School District super-
intendent, said the addition
of these social workers is
helpful, as they provide a
higher level of service than
school counselors. That is,
they have sessions with stu-
dents who need extra help,
she said. This help, Mooney
added, could even involve
crisis situations.
The social worker’s pres-
ence at the schools is espe-
cially necessary these days,
the superintendent said, as
many students are having
diffi culty transitioning from
at-home studies to in-per-
son schools.
Mooney said the district
was able to hire these social
workers thanks to 2019
Oregon legislation, the Stu-
dent Success Act, which
provided additional funds
for Oregon schools.
During a recent inter-
view at Hermiston High
School, the social work-
ers expressed satisfaction
that they are bringing value
to Hermiston schools. This
value is especially high
right now as these days are
particularly stressful, they
said.
Omar Medina at the high
school
Omar Medina, who has
an offi ce at Hermiston High
School, is the longest-serv-
ing social worker at the dis-
trict. He was hired midway
through last year. As is true
for the social workers who
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Students depart Hermiston High School at the start of winter break Dec. 17, 2021.
were hired later, he serves
under the district’s student
services department. Prior
to taking the position of
social worker, however, he
was a graduation coach at
the high school.
There are some similar-
ities between his work as
a graduation coach and as
a social worker, he said, as
both positions involve one-
on-one meetings with high
school students. Nowadays,
though, he does a more
mental health work.
He said students are hav-
ing a tough time. He sees
teenagers who are suff ering
depression, anxiety, grief,
loss and more. Also, many
families are dealing with
problems resulting from
poverty. As such, he meets
with families to direct them
to resources, including food
stamps
Since he has a master’s
degree in social work from
George Fox University, he
expressed confi dence in his
ability to help people. And,
he said, his work is sup-
ported by the district. The
district had long wanted to
hire a social worker, Medina
said. After hiring him, his
employers saw fi t to hire
two more social workers
and are likely to hire more
in the future, he said.
Sydney Moore at the
elementary schools
Sydney Moore, who
obtained
her
master’s
degree at Boise State Uni-
versity, is enjoying her fi rst
year as a social worker for
the district, serving elemen-
tary students.
She said young children
are facing a lot of hardships.
Problems relating to the
coronavirus pandemic are
part of the problem, but they
are not everything, she said.
At the elementary level,
according to Moore, stu-
dents are dealing with many
changes, including divorce.
These kids, she said,
inspire her with their resil-
ience. She said she sees
many students who face
serious problems, and yet
they are still able to laugh at
recess and communicate the
best part of their day.
Moore pointed out some
of the most serious prob-
lems, which includes sui-
cidal ideation. She said there
are children who think about
suicide. There are also chil-
dren, mostly in the fourth
and fi fth grades, who engage
in self harm, she stated.
These kids, according to
the social worker, some-
times injure themselves. By
giving themselves physical
pain, they mask the emo-
tional pain they are suf-
fering, Moore said. She
addresses self-harm by help-
ing students reduce stress
or increase stress toler-
ance. It is also important to
remove harmful objects and
to develop coping skills, she
said.
It is common for parents
to not know the problems
young people are having,
she said. She expressed the
need for parents to engage
their children and be on the
lookout for problems. If,
for instance, a child is often
isolating himself in a dark
room, the child might have
additional problems, she
said.
Josefi na Smith at the middle
schools
Josefi na Smith, social
worker for Hermiston mid-
dle schools, agreed with the
need for parents to watch
out for signs that something
might be wrong with their
children. Smith, Moore and
Medina all suggested that
parents fi nd new ways to
speak to their kids.
Go to the internet, they
said. Pinterest has many
lists for diff erent ways to
say “How was your day?”
By using diff erent expres-
sions to greet children, par-
ents can get fuller answers
from their children.
Smith said she is always
on the lookout for new and
better ways to speak to stu-
dents, and this has good
results. She serves students
at the middle schools. Also,
she helps kids and their fam-
ilies at the district’s New-
comer Program, which
off ers lessons in language
and culture to students who
are new to this country. She
said, by thoughtfully greet-
ing students and showing
them she cares, she gains
their aff ection and their
trust.
Many students are facing
problems with depression,
she said. Often, they choose
to skip school. If they have a
friendly person at the school,
however, they may choose
otherwise, Smith said. She
added that many students
have told her that, on diffi -
cult days, they decided to go
to school just because they
knew they would see her.
These students are sweet,
and it warms her “mom
heart,” she said. “When kid-
dos get excited to see you,
you see that you are doing
something right,” she said.
Smith expressed hope that
she was helping them by
creating connections that
lead to them building better
relationships with other peo-
ple, too.
She said parents can
sometimes feel scared to ask
about their children’s feel-
ings, especially if they sus-
pect depression. Still, she
insisted, communication is
important. Middle school
students in particular are fac-
ing hormonal changes that
they may not understand.
“It’s not the happiest
time,” Smith said. Still, if
they can talk with trusted
individuals, they can be
helped.
Smith stated that she is
helping to provide a safe
place at the schools, so
young people can talk about
their problems. This is great,
she said, because men-
tal health assistance can be
diffi cult to acquire. Local
providers, she said, are all
booked, and the wait list to
get help can be three months
long. Also, therapy can be
expensive. At the schools,
however, students can meet
with social workers with
little wait, and there is no
fi nancial cost.
The social workers all
expressed that they are
happy for the safe spaces
they are creating. Their
worries are, now that win-
ter break coming, students
are losing the comfort of
schools.
Some students have cha-
otic home lives, the social
workers said. Such students
see school as an escape, and
they are troubled with hav-
ing to stay home.
To these students, the
social workers suggest get-
ting as much sun as possible.
Also, they should engage in
hobbies and fi nd methods to
keep themselves active. This
could also be a good time to
develop relationships.
The winter break can
be tough, the social work-
ers said. Still, it will not last
forever, and school will be
there for the students when
the break is over.
BRIEFS
Irrigon City Council
honors Matlack for
service
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald
Ken Matlack receives an award Dec. 21, 2021, from Irrigon Mayor Margaret Anderson for
20 years of service on the Irrigon City Council. Matlack, Morrow County sheriff , stepped
down from the council in October.
The Irrigon City Coun-
cil during its meeting Dec. 21
honored Ken Matlack for 20
years of service on the council.
Matlack, Morrow County
sheriff , stepped down from
the council in October. He
appeared at the meeting with
his wife, Shirley Matlack, and
said the move freed up time for
other interests.
Irrigon Mayor Margaret
Anderson praised Matlack for
his service.
“Ken has done a lot for this
community,” she said. “We
appreciate him.”
Anderson, who has worked
with Matlack since 2012, cred-
ited Matlack’s ability for criti-
cal thinking. Also, she said he
will be missed on the council.
Irrigon City Manager
Aaron Palmquist wished Mat-
lack well and said the city has
yet to advertise the opening.
Whoever the council selects
will serve the remaining three
years of Matlack’s four-year
term, ending with the next
election.
Aff ordable Family
Eyewear has new owner
Aff ordable Family Eye-
wear, 298 E. Gladys Ave., Suite
B, Hermiston, has changed
hands. The downtown Herm-
iston eyewear seller, formerly
owned by Marcia Lambert,
is now owned by Nick Page.
Lambert had owned the busi-
ness for 14 years.
According to Aff ordable
Family Eyewear’s website,
Page is a Washington state
licensed dispensing optician.
Certifi ed by the American
Board of Opticianry and cer-
tifi ed by the National Contact
Lens Examiners, Page also is
an Oregon State University
graduate.
In addition to giving
Page’s credentials, the web-
site lists the company’s his-
tory with local causes. Area
school districts, Lions clubs
and CAPECO are mentioned.
The business works with those
organizations and others to
provide inexpensive or free
eye exams and eyeglasses to
people in need, the site states.
On Thursday, Dec. 23,
Page said business has been
very busy. These days, as peo-
ple are trying to use the last
of their 2021 insurance bene-
fi ts, they are visiting him more
than they might otherwise, he
said.
Services at Family Eyewear
include safety glasses, repairs
and eye exam appointments.
The company off ers same day
service on prescription lenses.
Aff ordable Family Eye-
wear’s offi ce hours are Mon-
day and Tuesday 8 a.m. to
6 p.m., Wednesday and Thurs-
day 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
—Hermiston Herald
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JANUARY 15 TH
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Shaun
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360-921-2071
or or email:
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