Here at Oak Hill Academy, we place great emphasis on the mental and physical wellness of our students. That’s why, for the second year in a row, we held a Health Awareness Week here on campus.
While an integral part of our curriculum is to teach our students healthy habits and different ways of taking care of themselves, last week, we went above and beyond. We planned a whole host of activities to encourage everyone—faculty and staff included!—to be aware of and to nurture their health.
At the start of the week in homeroom, each student was given a copy of the Warrior Wellness Wheel (see below). They spent a few minutes of focused time setting a specific goal for themselves for the week in at least two wellness areas—Intellectual, Emotional, Spiritual, Physical, and Social.
On Monday and Tuesday, our on-campus nurses conducted health assessments for students. This included measuring basic vitals, a reaction test (that the health team keeps on file in case of a possible concussion), and a brief mental health screening. All students were given the option to participate, and we will keep parents informed should any health concerns arise out of these assessments.
We also hosted our annual “combine” days on Tuesday and Wednesday, where students interested in excelling athletically—or just testing their athletic skills!—were welcome to participate in activities with our sports teams.
Guest speakers from off-campus also joined the activities. On Wednesday, presenters from Mt. Rogers Community Service Board met with all of our students for fun and engaging “connection” activities to help nourish their emotional, social, and spiritual health!
On Saturday morning, students were invited to join our Mental Health Fair, where they gathered valuable information. Later that day, we held a walk/run to support Child Abuse Prevention, followed by a picnic and recreational fun at the lake for the evening.
To wrap up a busy week of health and wellness, we also hosted a just-for-fun basketball competition for all students interested in participating. Another option that afternoon was to join an AED/CPR course on campus, so students could become certified out of interest or, with summer around the corner, to satisfy requirements for certain jobs and internships.
Whew – that’s a lot of health for one week! We hope you will participate at home by being more aware of taking good care of your overall health, and maybe joining us in setting goals in two of these areas below.
Have an enjoyable and healthy week!
