Gwynedd’s First Virtual Wellness Day

Hayley Young

This year, programming days are the latest addition to Gwynedd’s schedule, and they have allowed the school to come up with original ways to engage students. On Friday, January 22, girls in every grade participated in a Virtual Wellness Activity Day. Throughout the day, they were able to experience a variety of wellness activities from home, right before the weekend. These activities ranged from active ventures, like a wellness walk or GRIT cardio, to more creative pursuits, like journaling or rock painting. They worked to introduce the Gwynedd community to effective mindfulness practices, many of which students may not have previously tried. Each student could sign up for two sessions—one in the morning and another in the afternoon, and in those sessions, girls could virtually connect with classmates from both cohorts, likely an entirely different group of girls for each activity, as they explored new mindfulness exercises.

Following their wellness sessions, students met with their homerooms and took a survey to reflect on the day’s activities. During homeroom, they were able to share their experiences and final thoughts about their mindfulness activities, learning about some of the sessions that they missed. The girls were then able to complete a survey about their day, examining ways to apply the day’s exercises in their everyday lives to manage stress or just take care of their mental health. In fact, many of the girls hope to explore even more wellness activities during another programming day soon!