Wellness Week washes away stress

By Lilian Chai and Ariel Lee Apr. 3, 2024

Jude Tantawy Photo

During the bustling month of March, ASB hosted the school’s annual Wellness Week, with students looking forward to a much-needed break from academic stress.

Meg Walsh, Activities Director and Leadership Advisor, first began Wellness Week eight years ago to underscore the importance of students’ mental health and uphold a safe, friendly environment at the school. What started as a simple discussion facilitated between teachers and students about the importance of mental health soon transformed into the Wellness Week students know today.

ASB students like Freshman Arushi Yagnik and Sophomore Kali Gruenhagen worked to plan the event this year. To get more ideas, they asked people outside of ASB about what they do to relieve their stress. With this information, ASB finalized the activities calendar and advertised it through posters and social media campaigns.

From Tuesday to Friday, teachers hosted activities such as napping, meditating, doodling or making slime or bracelets during tutorial. At lunchtime, students received giveaways such as bubbles, stress balls and chocolate coins for St. Patrick’s Day. The 3v3 basketball tournament in the gym also encouraged students to watch and cheer for their peers. Additionally, students could throw pie at their teachers and throw water balloons to relieve stress.

“What I enjoyed most about planning Wellness Week was giving the entire student body the chance to participate in providing ideas. The event went quite well—a lot of people enjoyed activities such as making slime or just going to the tutorials to have fun with their friends,” Yagnik said.

Some teachers, like Sarah Lofgren, Science Department, also hosted nature walks– something she hopes allowed students to relax, as spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress levels and improve cognitive function. Lofgren’s group walked to the Los Alamitos Creek on Tuesday and spent time exploring while learning about plants and animals in the area. 

“March was the busiest month of the semester for me, so I enjoyed de-stressing and spending more time with friends by participating in Wellness Week. Unfortunately, since many activities took place during tutorials, some people were unable to participate as they had schoolwork and test makeups,” Senior Medha Nemani said.

ASB was able to wrap up the week with many students feeling better about their mental health. Next year, the school looks forward to hosting an even wider array of activities that is more enjoyable and accessible for everyone.

---

About the Contributors

Lilliana Chai

staff writer

Liliana Chai is a freshman attending Leland High School and is an artist for the 2023-24 Charger Account. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, playing piano, sleeping, arts and crafts, and writing poetry. She is looking forward to Journalism and hopes to explore new ideas while collaborating with other people.

Ariel Lee

staff writer

Ariel Lee is a freshman at Leland High School and is a page writer for her first year in journalism. In her free time, she likes to sleep, do nothing, binge shows (kdramas), and listen to music.

Jude Tantawy

artist

Jude Tantawy is a senior at Leland High School and is an artist for The Charger Account. During her free time, she enjoys drawing & painting, cooking, baking, playing video games, and is always listening to music.