Submitted by Denis Kelly
Faculty, administration and staff at Watchung Hills Regional High School (WHRHS) were offered a range of information and health screenings during the lunchtime Wellness Day Health Fair, sponsored by the Healthy Edge Initiative, on Friday, January 11, 2019.
Gathered in Room 107, adjacent to the North Cafeteria, were representatives from health insurance companies, dental services, pharmacies, and even a local full-service supermarket, which was represented by a registered dietitian.
There was also a naturopathic physician, who answered questions about naturopathic approaches to health. The Warren Township Rescue Squad (WTRS) was represented by a group of Emergency Medical Technicians, many of whom were graduates of WHRHS. They were offering blood pressure readings, as well as other health information, and information about how to volunteer with the rescue squad.
A masseuse provided mini massages in a private room off the Media Center, and representatives from the Optical Academy of Clifton offered screenings in a nearby classroom.
The Wellness Day Health Fair was organized by the team of volunteers on the WHRHS Healthy Edge Wellness Committee, organized by WHRHS Health and Physical Education Teacher Jill Gleeson. Others behind the planning were Director of Human Resources and Professional Development Beth Scheiderman, Executive Administrative Assistant for Human Resources and Professional Development Donna Dinson, Health and Physical Education Teacher Caitlin Brennan, WHRHS Instructional Aide Marla Heath, and volunteer benefits advisor who helped line up the vendors from the community, Brooke Frapwell.
Gleeson said the idea of holding Wellness programs for students, staff and parents grew out of the multi-year effort to provide nurturing and nourishment for the mental health and well-being of students, parents, teachers and staff. This ongoing effort rose out of the work of the Wellness Committee and the Teen Action Group, two of the many committees and subcommittees developed with input from a broad group of WHRHS Board of Education members, administrators, teachers, students, parents and community leaders and volunteers, back in 2014. They were then, and many still are now, working to identify and implement the goals and objectives of the WHRHS Strategic Plan 2015-2020.
The Strategic Plan’s three goals are:
- Create and expand programs and services that enhance the social and emotional wellness of all students within a compassionate learning community.
- Build and strengthen support structures that engage students in developing their individual potential, enable students to experience success in high school, and empower students to plan and prepare well for post-secondary learning.
- Integrate creative, innovative, and interdisciplinary learning throughout the district to empower and inspire students to succeed in a changing global community.
Gleeson said the committee plans to hold other Healthy Edge/Wellness programs later in the school year.
Coming up, Gleeson said, the Wellness initiative is planning a parent/community night on Tuesday, April 2, featuring with nationally acclaimed Prevention Expert, Timothy Shoemaker. He will focus on addiction, raising drug-free teens, detection tips and strategies to learn the most common concealment techniques of teenagers. Shoemaker will also bring an extensive hands-on display. His presentation will unveil dozens of deadly new drugs and drug use techniques that are currently plaguing teens, and he is expected to discuss vaping in depth, Gleeson said.
In addition, Gleeson’s team is also planning a community showing of “Angst,” a documentary centering around anxiety in teenagers and how to handle and manage stress with positive coping skills. The date has not yet been determined, Gleeson said, but she expects it to be determined soon, and it will likely be during the Spring.
Earlier this year, in November, a program geared primarily for parents called “Vaping: Clear the Air,” was organized by the Healthy Edge Committee and the WHRHS PTO (Parent Teacher Organization), Gleeson said.
Contrary to the popular notion that “Vaping” might be the safer alternative to smoking or chewing tobacco, guest speaker Melissa Tasse warned Watchung Hills Regional High School (WHRHS) parents that, in fact, e-cigarettes deliver multiple-times more concentrated dosages of the highly addictive drug, nicotine, than their tobacco alternatives.
Then, on December 4, about 100 students, teachers and community volunteers participated in the annual and dynamic Challenge Day, a nation-wide, self-empowerment and values-affirming program geared for students. Through small group discussions, large group ice-breakers, and time-honored values-clarifying activities, students learned that if they have challenges and excess stress they are not alone; they have both peers and trained staff who can help, and they are valued for who they are as well as who they aspire to become. Challenge Day has been offered annually to students at WHRHS for years.
For more information about the WHRHS Healthy Edge Wellness initiative, visit the school’s Web site, and click on “Community” button near the top of the Home Page. Or visit whrhs.org/community/new-page.
Photos by WHRHS
(above, l-r) Stacey Roy, Stephanie Scheiderman, Ward Scheiderman, Jason Ross, Ashley Irving, Brian Nalewajek, Lynn Lin, and Brian Finkel from the Warren Township Rescue Squad.
(above) WHRHS Special Services English Teacher Amita Lluveres puts a ticket into one of many Tricky Tray bags for one of many fun mini-prize packages from local restaurants, stores and services in the community, who support the Wellness Day Health Fair on January 11.
