News

Santa Catalina School’s health and wellness initiative has officially launched in the Middle School.

Students were introduced to the program’s signature Wheel of Well-being on September 15 during a special presentation in the gym. The wheel presents seven dimensions of health that form the acronym PRESENT: 

• Personal Development
• Relationships and Communication
• Exercise and Movement
• Spirituality
• Environment
• Nutrition and Hydration
• Time for Rest

The goal of the initiative is for students to learn to nurture each of these areas to support their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being throughout their lives.

Liz Hulme, Santa Catalina’s former director of health and wellness and the architect of the program, explained each aspect of the Wheel of Well-being to the students. Then, she had the students gather around a recreation of the wheel on the gym floor, where blue and yellow balloons marked different spots belonging to each of the dimensions. Students moved to a spot based on their answer to several questions: What area of the wheel is already a strength for you? What other dimension supports this area of strength? Where can you grow? At each stop, students discussed their answers with a partner. Time for Rest—which speaks to not only sleep but downtime—emerged as a common area for growth.

The health and wellness initiative first launched in the Upper School in 2017 and is beginning its next phase in the Lower and Middle School. Last year, Middle School students completed surveys indicating where they needed the most support or where they had interest, and the program is being developed with these responses in mind. Through monthly assemblies and weekly topics during advisory periods, students will continue to cultivate knowledge and self-discovery in pursuit of their personal well-being.