John F. Kennedy High School hosted high schoolers from throughout the district on Thursday at United for Wellness, the district’s second annual student wellness summit.
During United for Wellness, 600 high school students from 19 different schools rotated between stations with lessons based on different aspects of wellness. Facilitators offered insight into coping with stress, forming healthy relationships, recognizing signs of substance abuse, and knowing when to ask for help with mental health issues. Whatever questions or concerns a student had about their personal wellness, someone was there who they could ask.
“My hope is that you will get something out of today that will help you going forward all throughout your life,” Lead High School Counselor Kenya Rocker told the students.
Beyond the informational sessions, students also got to engage in fun and relaxing activities like sumi ink painting, African drumming, and dancing. There was even a dedicated calming space where anyone could go to take a break if tensions started running high. It was all capped off with a multicultural festival where students could have fun learning about each other’s cultures.
With a little bit of time away from classroom obligations, the event was all about students getting to take a deep breath and consider any personal matters they might have been ignoring.
“This is a day away from your classes when you can just focus on yourself,” said Superintendent Tricia McManus. “Today is all about taking time for you.”
The program was organized by over 70 students from the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. These student leaders say that it’s important for people their age to be mindful about their personal wellbeing because success in any venue in life depends on proactive self-care.
“If you’re not feeling your best mentally, you’re not going to do your best in school either,” said Paisley IB Magnet School Freshman Sanica Lobo. “You have to take time to take care of yourself.”
Furthermore, the student leaders saw the event as an opportunity to reinforce a sense of belonging within Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. They experience countless worries in the world, both through the news and in their everyday lives, but their school community can be a place to regroup and feel connected. All it takes is an effort to foster an atmosphere of togetherness, and they hope United for Wellness will further that goal.
“It’s really important that school be a place where everybody feels safe, no matter who they are or what their background is,” said Atkins High School Junior Justine Mourkos. “We want it to be as welcoming for everyone as possible.”