12/21/05

                                                       Wellness Introduction

This school year we have started a new freshman wellness course. The wellness course is under the physical education department. Each class meets two times out of the seven day rotation of classes for 40 minutes. In each class there are 13-15 students, one instructor and 2-5 senior mentors. The seniors are volunteers who act as liaisons between the instructor and the freshmen as well as facilitators.  There are six different wellness instructors. The curriculum is broken down into 4 marking quarters covering mental health ( depression, anxiety, body image, eating disorders), substance use and abuse ( alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs, steroids), sexuality ( STD/STI, healthy relationships, rape and sexual orientation) and stress management and balance. The focus of the program is to inform students about these issues so they can make the best decision and choices for themselves as well make sure they are aware of their resources on and off campus.  We work closely with community groups as guest speakers and resources.

Wellness Instructors Ms Vallas- Director of Wellness, Physical Education Ms Nagy-Service Learning Coordinator Mr. McCarthy- Dean of Students   Mr. Bryan- Head of School Ms. Jenkins-Diversity Coordinator Ms. Maritime-Senior Dean, English Department Mr. Collins- English Department