Wellness Wednesday wins over students
Sally Stimpson | Editor
Students play Wii to help destress as part of Wellness Wednesday. PEER staff created Wellness Wednesday as a quarterly event during which students choose an hour-long activity to lower their stress levels. Photo courtesy of Valerie Egger.
LCHS’ Positive Experiences in Educational Relationships (PEER) aims to decrease student’s stress levels by creating a welcoming school environment and organizing a variety of activities. One of their newest activities this year is Wellness Wednesday. This program is intended to help the school community manage its stress by providing students with an hour to participate in lighthearted activities with their classmates.
PEER sponsor Dorene Kuebler explained that PEER got the inspiration to implement Wellness Wednesday from surrounding schools. “We borrowed the idea from Loudoun Valley High School, who have been doing this weekly since the beginning of last school year,” said Kuebler.
By starting Wellness Wednesday, PEER hopes to help students manage their stress.
“We want Wellness Wednesday to be a relaxing and fun way to destress and hang out with your friends in the middle of a busy week. Whether it’s yoga or coloring, we want our peers to discover new ways to cope that they can bring with them all throughout life,” said Grace Zeiter-Gherst, a member of PEER.
Wellness Wednesday includes a variety of activities that appeal to students. From decorating cookies to playing frisbee, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Sophomore Kate Burke explained that she loves Wellness Wednesday as it provides her with a break from school and an opportunity to enjoy herself with her friends.
Each Wellness Wednesday requires PEER to plan and prepare in order to create a positive experience for the school. One of the most important concepts in the success of each Wellness Wednesday is the use of a sign-up database to limit and keep track of the number of students in each activity.
However, this sign-up has become a complication for the operation of Wellness Wednesday as some students fail to sign up accordingly. “This creates overcrowding in some areas or a lack of necessary supplies. We hope that in the future students will understand the importance of this aspect,” said Kuebler.
Along with creating this sign-up, PEER does a variety of things to outline each Wellness Wednesday. Zeiter noted that the group also ensures that teachers are prepared to lead their activities and help promote the signup.
Overall, Kuebler says that the program has been a huge success. “We have received a lot of positive feedback from students and staff,” Kuebler said. “PEER loves sponsoring this activity and hopes that students are benefiting from this opportunity.”
Students can look forward to Wellness Wednesday being held once per quarter with the next activities being scheduled for February 13 and the final session scheduled for April 24.
