Wellness Day, Was It Well?

Although many students opted for sleeping in rather than joining in on the fun, every student I’ve asked has said that they enjoyed the day. However, there are a few criticisms. First off: why now? Why at the end of the school year when teachers are rushing through the final units and preparing students for finals at the same time? If it had been on a half-day Wednesday in the middle of the school year (maybe January or March), attendance would likely have been higher and students would have been more grateful for the break.

A noticeable weakness in the planning of this day is the communication, as most of the teachers had no idea what was happening. As I saw during advisory the day before, the teachers barely understood what to do with the spreadsheets they were given, and had to ask around to find out. If the teachers had known farther in advance about the plan for Wellness Day, they may have better understood what was happening, and been able to adjust their classwork accordingly.

The biggest flaw by far of Wellness Day was the presentation by the psychologist from Chelmsford. Every student I’ve spoken to has agreed that his speech was not inspiring or helpful to them at all and that it only made people more discouraged. The psychologist simply stated how widespread depression and anxiety are, and how much worse it is now than before the pandemic. The speech was depressing in itself, containing no motivation and very little advice. A presentation from a psychologist seems reasonable for a Wellness Day, but next time someone who plans to be more inspirational would be better.

It was fun to spend time with friends and connect with the teachers without having to worry about schoolwork, and the activities (such as nature drawing, kickball, and board games) suited all interests. It provided an opportunity for students to create positive memories at school. Overall Wellness Day was successful and should be done again, just with a few adjustments.