Health & Wellness
The Health & Wellness of Our Community BY MELANIE BAUMAN, DIRECTOR OF WELLNESS
From the very beginning of the pandemic, Webb engaged our entire community in thinking about how we not only survive a pandemic, but how we thrive. As we transitioned from languid days on Zoom to the exciting, and for some overwhelming, experience of being together (again for some, and for the first time for many), the administration and faculty began to think through what learning loss for an adolescent might look like in practical application. We would need to reteach our values, remind juniors stepping into leadership positions what they had learned about as incoming 9th graders about what makes Webb special. We knew from surveying the community that our energy would be different, that there was a true emotional toll of surviving a pandemic, and that to thrive together we would need to have open communication, allow significant space for emotional touch points and that rebuilding, establishing, or strengthening relationships with each other was key. Relationships and connection are where we started, and engaging our student leaders was crucial. Immediately, student leaders began to talk about what new students didn’t know: clean up after yourself in the Dining Hall; talk through disagreements; don’t rely on cancel culture to solve conflict; acknowledge and discuss the impact of words vs. their intent; oh and by the way, that classroom you can’t pronounce, it’s right over here! Student leaders
22 THE WEBB SCHOOLS
themselves felt that adjustment, as they searched their memories to take on their new roles, being reminded along the way and at times learning right alongside new students. The first few months of the 2021-22 school year highlighted how differently the pandemic was experienced for individuals in our community. Different countries and states passed through the year and a half prior with vastly different guidelines and safety nets. Some students had not been in large crowds for months, some had the privilege of living in spaces with open air
