On May 18th, students at County Prep High School took part in Wellness Day, an event created to help students recharge during testing season, prioritize well-being, and engage in social emotional learning as a school community. Hosted by the elective Pursuit of Happiness, students from the class led 30 interactive workshops in over 150 class periods!
Whether it was creating bracelets and keychains with charms that represent one’s intrinsic goals, building confidence through positive affirmations, participating in charades to live in the moment without screens, dancing to destress, or competing in fitness bingo, students throughout the school took a break from their typical lessons as upperclassmen from the elective stood in as guest ‘teachers’ for the day. Scheduled after AP exams, Wellness Day provided students with time to decompress from testing or simply a chance to connect with peers.
Wellness Day was organized by English teacher Ms. Jen Zito, who teaches the class Pursuit of Happiness. In the elective, which is about the study of happiness, students create projects at the end of the year aimed to help the school community by applying what they have learned from the course. Thanks to the help and support of Ms. Barbara Mendolla, Ms. Jamie Velazquez, Ms. Christa Granato, Ms. Taryn Ashe, Ms. Vicenza Tripodi, Ms. Michelene Calabrese, and all of the teachers who volunteered to participate, this year’s end-of-year project expanded into a school-wide event.
Most importantly, it was the Pursuit of Happiness students’ effort involved in creating meaningful workshops that made the day a success. One teacher reflected, “This was super refreshing! I hope [the] class can continue to enlighten their peers through inspiring lessons on an annual basis. Well done & thank you so much!!”
