Wellness Wednesdays, a break from a regular day of classes, are an addition to the remote learning schedule this year. They’re designed to ease stress by giving students a break from class, but clubs, co-curriculars, committees, affinity groups, classes, faculty and student council all have the option to schedule meetings on Wellness Wednesdays. Some students believe Wellness Wednesdays give them a much-needed break during the week, while others, because of all the meetings and the extra work they have to do independently, believe they are just as stressful as regular school days.

What are your thoughts on Wellness Wednesdays? Are they a break? Or are they stressful?

Ella Li ’23
I really like Wellness Wednesdays; they are super beneficial to me. They give me time to catch up on homework and also study for tests without having to look at the computer screen for the whole day, especially since I have two school-related activities after school. I would definitely want to keep Wellness Wednesdays in place.

Ava Kitt ’24
I do believe that Wellness Wednesdays have their benefits; however, I feel as if teachers sometimes use them as an excuse to assign more work. I don’t think the issue with the concept of Wellness Wednesdays, rather how some teachers use it.  I am in no way trying to insult my teachers, but I do want to give insight into my feelings as well as other students I have spoken to.

Ivana Alejo ’21
I really like Wellness Wednesdays because I think we all definitely need a break throughout the week. But I think for seniors especially, it would be really useful to have the day just be free for us to do whatever we need to catch up on, instead of having something planned for those days. Even though we get out earlier than usual on Wednesdays, I still feel like sometimes I waste a lot of time with whatever has been scheduled for us (in the most respectful way possible).

Maia Driz-Diaz ’22
I really like the “break” from our academic week. It gives us an extra day for homework and maybe even a night off from work if we need it 🙂

Isabella Rucker ’21
I believe that Wellness Wednesdays are beneficial but can become a bit excessive. I personally do not believe that we need to have meetings scheduled every Wednesday. They can alternate between weeks or schedule meetings when necessary. I spend most of my Wednesdays finishing homework and college applications. This takes me the same amount of time, if not longer, than a regular school day. The meetings have added to that stress and shortened my free time as well. I believe Wellness Wednesdays are still necessary but need to be scheduled in moderation.

Estella Bakke ’23
I believe Wellness Wednesdays are an extremely good idea. It allows students to have a break from the computer and to participate in enriching conversations with our peers, whether it’s club/co-curricular meetings or having one-on-one sessions with our advisors. Personally, I believe it’s helped my mental health and let me catch up on homework/assignments. One thing that I think is faulty to Wellness Wednesdays is that some teachers assign double the homework to make up a lost day of study, and the seven-course homework really starts to pile up.

Reese Chapman ’21
I think it’s a good idea, but it seems like a lot of meetings get put on Wednesdays and some teachers give extra work to make up for the “extra free time.” I thought it was supposed to be a break from screens and work in the middle of the week, but I feel like it’s a whole other school day with how much we are on our screens, with meetings or homework/college applications.

Audrey de Groot ’24
I really like Wellness Wednesdays because they allow me to catch up on homework, study and do anything else I need to do while also giving me a break from constant Zoom calls.

Kelley Timmerman ’22
For me, being at home all the time, I forget to take care of myself. Wellness Wednesdays allow me to catch up on myself, sleep in a little, eat a good meal, go outside, get away from screens, play with my dog and spend time with my family. I am always locked up in my room at my desk, and Wellness Wednesdays let me take a break, a breather.