Warren-Walker School has made Wellness a priority that supports students in the kind of development that benefits their social, emotional, physical, and mental health. Mrs. Volker, Headmistress, states, “having a program that ensures students learn about how to achieve high levels of physical fitness, how to work as a team, the best ways to show you care, how to live a balanced life, and most importantly, how to make a positive difference at our school helped to prepare our community for the onset of the pandemic without even knowing it was coming. Caring for yourself and others was our mantra well before students and faculty were asked to wear masks and socially distance. Maintaining a healthy body, as well as a healthy mindset, has been purposefully stitched into the fabric of our everyday school lives.”
“Overall wellness enhances intrinsic motivation, decreases disciplinary problems, increases academic achievement, improves school satisfaction, and leads to the flourishing of students. Simply put, those who feel better can learn better” (Buecker, et al., 2018). Students learn valuable strategies that encourage self-empowerment, stress management, self-regulation, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills. They learn a plethora of deep breathing techniques that will serve as life-long skills as they build their toolbox of coping strategies. Wellness lessons are designed to be kid-friendly, interesting, relevant, and fun. Highlighted in the program are techniques based in cognitive/behavioral strategies to help students learn the importance of how their thoughts play a role in their attitude, ability to focus and learn, and their level of effort. These qualities help them control their emotions, and therefore the outcome of various situations.
Students learn practical ways to apply the character traits of honesty, perseverance, integrity, friendship, courage, responsibility, respect, self-discipline, and good judgment throughout the school year. Our Character Education and Leadership Program at the Lower School, and the Middle School Life Skills Program, along with our Physical Education and sports programs, reinforce the importance of every student’s well being. According to Mr. Iacono, Head of the Lower School, ”the formal wellness program definitely has contributed to a healthier and higher level of emotional intelligence, and is a natural extension of our Physical Education, Character Education and Leadership Programs.”
At Warren-Walker's Lower School, all students attend Wellness class one day per week in place of PE for about 25 minutes. Movement modalities such as yoga, parkour, tai chi, and dance get the kids moving and also teaches confidence and body awareness. A breathing practice or mindfulness activity comes next, and concludes with a short relaxation or guided visualization. Many of the lessons are drawn from Positive Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Brain-Based Learning sources. This year, we have incorporated a community wellness garden (Prekindergarten - 5th grade students) which allows students to be involved, responsible, and successful in the many processes of gardening from preparing the soil through harvesting while learning about nature, science, and nutrition.
The Director of our Wellness Program, Mrs. Iacono, provides office hours for students needing extra emotional and social support. They usually come during their lunch, at recess, or before school. Together they problem solve, read books, play games, breathe, journal, and more. A safe and loving environment helps support every student. She also writes a weekly wellness article which is posted electronically to parents, faculty, and staff. According to Mrs. Iacono, “students are building their confidence and their ‘toolbox of skills’ to help them manage big emotions, navigate challenges and learn to be kind, honest, and move through life with a positive attitude. They are also learning the art of self-care, self-empowerment, and how to manage daily stress, anger, frustration, and anxiety early on in their development. They are practicing skills at school that can become habits in their adult years.”
At Warren-Walker's Middle School, Mrs. Derouin reports that many students have requested that yoga class return as a choice for P.E. During the pandemic when we couldn’t mix the classes, several students shared that “yoga was the only hour of their school day that did not cause them stress, and allowed them to rest their brains and recuperate their energy.” They also formed deep and lasting bonds with students outside of their grade and supported each other during difficult times using the social-emotional skills they learned in yoga class.
According to K. Cameron’s book, Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance, “Research has found that inducing positive emotions (such as joyfulness, love, or appreciation) enlarges cognitive perspectives and enhances the ability of [students] to attend to more information, make richer interpretations, and experience higher levels of creativity and productivity.” At Warren-Walker School, we strive to formally teach our students to maximize their potential by prioritizing their wellbeing, which plays a vital role in nurturing the whole child.
- Ann DuBois, Director of Alumni Relations