BALANCE + WELL-BEING

Commit to and sustain a culture of balance and well-being.

As a School, we are committed to fostering a learning community that is intellectually engaged, socially connected and healthy. While we cannot ignore the challenges of modern life, including the increasing demands on time, the role of technology and the pressures to perform in an achievement-oriented world, we must prioritize our community’s health and well-being. We have learned from our current partnerships with Challenge Success and through research and best practices, that students need to develop skills in self-awareness, self-care, healthy decision-making and coping. Collectively, we need to align our entire community—students, parents and the professional community—on the importance of offering a challenging and purposeful curriculum while also providing opportunities to pause, reflect and take care of our bodies and minds.

Bridge To 2022 Initiatives And Accomplishments

Adjust and leverage the School schedule to support balance and well-being (B+W) while maintaining academic rigor.

Extension To 2024 Initiatives And Draft Action Steps

Appraise and improve the “lived experience” of students and professional community (PC) members around B+W. 1

1

Reduced the number of Committee and Task Force meetings and regular zed PC, Division and Department meetings after-school. 2

Implemented consistent periods breaks and designated time for affinity group/clubs n the US/MS schedule, and developmentally appropriate t mes for special st classes in LS.

Continue to everage key partnership with the Med cal Advisory Board to support physica and mental hea th.

Cont nue to track and respond to feedback from Challenge Success Surveys, Belonging Survey and 2022 Parent Op nion Survey; Address key themes where possible and appropriate

C arify adm nistrative structures and pathways for student support. 2

Formed Medical Adv sory Board and Health Working Group.

Elevate B+W as critical elements of our climate and culture through community-wide education and support from faculty, professional staff, administration and the Board of Trustees.

Formed Student We lness and Support (SWS) department and added additional capacity in the department.

Formalized Aff nity Group job descriptions and compensation structures for faculty adv sors; Added new identity groups to reflect the needs of our diverse community. Incorporated language in the PT&L that better def nes academic r gor in terms of intel ectual cha lenge vs. volume and load.

Partnered with Challenge Success (for two student and one parent survey) 3

Ensure that current and future physical spaces optimize opportunities for well-being, health and learning.

Worked with landscape architects to create outdoor learn ng spaces on the proposed South Campus.

Pr orit ze PD in cross-cu tural competence and respons veness, adolescent dent ty development, antibu lying and diverse learning styles

3

Further articulate and promote balance and wellbeing as essential elements of our School’s vision and purpose as we continue to engage and align our constituents with our community values.

Review and rev se the Mentor Program to better al gn overarching purpose and meeting content with B+W and DEIB values.

Use storytel ing to re nforce the importance of B+W n communication channels, such as the website, admissions, or entat on and onboarding materials

Track and manage the homework load to protect PDF (play t me, down time, family t me). Seek additional opportunities that leverage the School schedule to support B+W for students and staff.

Pr orit ze designated affin ty groups/ advising time in any iteration of the school schedule.

Exam ne the role of the South Campus outdoor learning spaces to improve B+W.

Seek input from Deans and advisors on how to support student life through program time and scheduling.

Continue to build out adv sing/socialemotional learning (SEL)/health/ physical education curriculum to address sk ll-bu lding around self-awareness, healthy decis on making, t me/stress management and coping ski ls.