Lakeland Regional High School staff worked together with students to kickstart a new event called Student Wellness Day. Student Wellness Day is an event that offers a slew of activities that students can choose from with the goal of improving their mental health. Student Wellness Day ran on March 27, 2024, after the school ran on a half-day schedule.
The Lancer Ledger reached out to the organizers of the event, and asked how they thought the first Wellness Day went. All who responded expressed that they found success in the event. Chief School Administrator Mr. Hugh Beattie praised the committee saying that they did a lot and did it quickly. Ms. Nicole DeCarlo, a physical education teacher and advisor for the student council, adds that there were some “hiccups,” but this was their first year, so there’s still opportunities to learn and improve.
A student organizer, junior Emily Becker, explained, “I think regardless of what we did, it was the first one so there will always be things to improve on. Overall, it was a great day and we could not have done it without Mr. Beattie, [Vice Principal] Mrs. [Rita] Mazza, Mrs. Geyer, and Mrs. DeCarlo.”
When asked about potential future Student Wellness Days, all event coordinators expressed a strong intention to make this an annual Lakeland event. Mr. Beattie is even interested in eventually having a Student Wellness Day each marking period, if it proves to be possible.
The Ledger also reached out to the students to gain insight on their opinions on this first Student Wellness Day. Most students enjoyed Wellness Day, saying that it was a fun break from the stress of school, and they would look forward to more Wellness Days in the future. For those students who did not enjoy Wellness Day, some of them expressed disappointment at being placed in a section they did not want to be in.
However, one of the event coordinators, business teacher Ms. Jessica Geyer, addressed this by saying. “One caveat that I feel is important to address is the fact that we established a level of seniority when signing up students for events offered. Our most popular event was ‘Puppy Play’ – If you did not receive this event, we apologize!”
Ms. DeCarlo suggested that “it would be nice to have more sections of the most popular events.” Similarly, Mr. Beattie expressed that he hopes to offer more opportunities to students, and more outdoor activities in nicer weather.
With the potential of new activities, the Ledger asked students about what events they might like to see in the future. Suggestions from the students included more physical activities, activities based on special interests, and free time. There were also suggestions for a mirror to the puppy play— a kitten play for the cat lovers.
Another change to Wellness Day, one that Ms. Geyer would like to see, is the addition of events for the wellbeing of staff. She explained, “I think wellbeing for all includes offering options to our educators who work hard for our students.” Further, she wanted to say “A HUGE thank you to every staff member who hosted a fun event for students and staff.”
Mr. Beattie encourages the idea for more Wellness Days, and is glad to have his faculty in his corner. He expressed, “I really appreciate all of the help from the faculty and the support. We need more fun days.”
Wellness Day was a successful day and both students and teachers are hoping for more experiences like this, along with more activity options.
