Students Hone Their "Power Skills" On Wellness Day at SMS

Yoga with Colby MulveyWhen it comes to education, many parents might believe that social and emotional learning (SEL) and wellness-related learning should take a backseat to the more traditional, core academic classes. But with psychiatrists warning that teens are experiencing a mental health crisis and some colleges decrying that many students are lacking the “soft” skills needed to succeed at the collegiate level (and beyond), one could also argue that SEL deserves a bigger role in a student’s curriculum.

Luckily for students in Scarsdale, the district is giving SEL more attention and providing students with more opportunities to both learn and practice important “soft” skills (or as the district calls them: “power” skills) like decision making, time management, problem solving, collaborating, and perseverance.

On Friday March 31st, SMS hosted a Wellness Day which allowed students to de-stress, focus on their mental health, and to connect with others in the SMS community. But the incredible event, organized by faculty members Megan Lahey and Mike Pincus, also provided students with an opportunity to practice power skills in real time. As an example, while creating homemade “stress balls” might seem to focus primarily on a student’s mental well-being, students who joined Ms. Pecora for this fun activity also practiced listening effectively, planning and organizing, problem solving, and persevering when things weren’t quite as easy as they seemed.

Power skills such as decision making, were needed right from the start when students got to choose from a long list of Baking Irish Soda Breadremarkable classes to take.. Eighth graders were given the privilege of signing up for classes first and Mr. Pincus, who set a date and time when the link to the sign-up sheet would go live, said many of the classes were filling up within the first hours. Some of the amazing classes students were able to select from from included: Tik Tok Dancing with Mr. Maignan, Finding Calm Through A Musical Tool with Susie Sands, Sustainability and Wellness Walk with Elyse Tenzer, Bracelet Making with Ms. Rosamond, Peaceful Puzzles with Mrs. Salvatori, Games and Wordle with Mrs. Warren and so many more.

Since on the day before vacation, many students leave a bit early for their travels, SMS is often a little quiet on that day. This year however, with Wellness Day scheduled on the day before spring break, the school was buzzing with energy and excitement. Students were thrilled to be connecting with friends from all grade levels, visiting with teachers they don’t normally get to see, and engaging in thought-provoking and meaningful activities.

In Ms. Layey’s class, students were met with Irish music which set the mood for baking Irish Soda Bread. After learning about Ms. Lahey’s own Irish roots, students worked with partners and in small groups to bake their own mini soda breads. While baking and working with dough certainly has its own therapeutic effects, students also benefited from listening to and following instructions, working collaboratively, and communicating with one another in order to complete a task and enjoy the fruits of their own labor.

Sun CatcherFollowing the sound of music and laughter down the hall, students in another class belted out Abba’s Dancing Queen during a lively session of karaoke. While it was obvious the students were having a blast, they also learned that music and laughter are wonderful tools to combat stress and anxiety.

Just across the hall, yoga teacher Colby Mulvey led a group of boys through several difficult yoga poses. While working through the various poses, the boys were also encouraged to pay attention to their breathing and to center their minds on the task at hand. Ms. Mulvey created a sense of calm in the room which hopefully stayed with the boys throughout the rest of their day.

In Ms. Nista’s Wellness Day class, students created suncatchers using a “flower of life” pattern. With soothing music playing in the background, students worked diligently while mindfully coloring their works of art and honing skills like focus and concentration.

Over in Ms. Kelly’s class titled Nail Art, students indulged not only in a creative outlet but also in a little self care. While the students in this class were chatting excitedly and helping each other paint and decorate their nails, Ms. Kelly described how the process of painting your nails can be meditative and how it can lift your mood when you perform little acts of kindness for yourself.

In the incredibly popular “Teach the Teacher'' class, students were provided an opportunity to share their expertise about smartphone use and social media. Though the middle schoolers thought it was fun to use their phones at school and reveled in showing their teachers how to take a good “selfie”, Ms. Hiller explained that she chose this class as an occasion to meet kids where they are at and welcomed the chance to build a sense of connection and trust with her students. It was plain to see that Ms. Hiller met her goal of creating a space for the students to feel “seen” and “listened to” while also quietly encouraging them to practice leadership and communication skills.The elements of spring in a bottle

With uplifting music playing in the background, in Mr. DeBerry’s “Found Poetry” class students chatted away while sifting through pop culture magazines looking for words and phrases to create found poetry. While Mr. DeBerry appreciated that this form of art was stress-free and encouraged students to think outside the box, he was especially thankful that the day provided a chance for students and teachers to connect and build a stronger community.

Ms. Browne helped her students to slow down, take note of the beauty around them, and connect with nature. Her “Spring in a Bottle” class started with a mindful walk through nature where students collected moss, flowers, and other signs of spring to create their own miniature “spring in a bottle". While patiently and delicately designing a landscape in a small bottle, Ms. Browne asked her students to think about what spring means to them and to take note of the feelings the season inspired.

Throughout the day, teachers in each SMS house led dozens of other thoughtful and creative classes allowing students to focus on their mental well-being and practice a multitude of important skills.

-Classes like Dr. Garay’s “Let’s Get Organized” taught students to better organize their binders and backpacks in order to foster “the right mental state” for learning.

-In Ms. Casitello’s “Mindful Coloring” class, students were able to let go of stress while they relaxed their minds and colored pictures of monuments from around the world.

-Mr. Fisher’s “Healing Haiku” class encouraged students to focus their attention on the present moment, observe their emotions and world around them, and to capture that moment in the form of a haiku.

Whether it was creating glitter jars, drawing mandalas, or planting an herb garden, teachers repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to give their students a break, remind them of the importance of taking care of their mental health, and for the chance to listen and connect with students in a way that cultivates a strong sense of community. At the end of the day it was abundantly clear that the teachers and faculty at SMS are willing to go the extra mile to take care of our children today, while preparing them for the world of tomorrow.