Ever Brunswick: Health & Wellness Initiative (February 2022)

Health & Wellness Initiative

‘To ably and generously prepare boys for life’ Brunswick’s mission has always included instilling within each boy the knowledge and skills necessary for development of physical and psychological health.

The importance and vast scope of wellness has led Brunswick to an initiative that focuses on expanding direct support, resources, and curriculum dedicated at every level to the physical and emotional well being of our boys, our faculty, our families, and our community.

Health & Wellness Working Group

Coordinators

Sarah Burdett

CIO

Marcelyn Molloy, MD

Core Working Group

Tom Philip HEAD OF SCHOOL

Kathleen Harrington CFO

Leslie Andersen, MSW DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING

Emma Eschricht, APRN PRE & LOWER SCHOOL NURSE

Ginny Martin, LPN

MIDDLE SCHOOL NURSE

Will Perkins, MSAT, ACT

UPPER SCHOOL HEALTH OFFICER

Marc Strileckis, ACT

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS, HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER

Health & Wellness Working Group

Contributors To Discovery

FACULTY

Kate Duennebier

COORDINATOR, BRUNSWICK TRUST

Danny Dychkowski

VT PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Rob Follansbee

HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Tucker Hastings

DEAN OF STUDENT LIFE

Gina Hurd

HEAD OF PRE-SCHOOL

Cedric Jones DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Jonathan Kaptcianos

DEAN OF STUDENT LIFE

Brett Martell

PRE & LOWER SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

Johnny Montanez DIRECTOR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Kathleen Signer HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL

Joey Zannino, MSW

COUNSELOR, PRE, LOWER & MIDDLE SCHOOL

BOARD MEMBERS

Kim Augustine

Rob Berkley

Emily Burns

Darby Fox, LCSW

Tom O’Malley

Tom Wilson, MD

Working Group Research & Process

Research

◾ Health & Wellness programs in primary schools

◾ Recommendations and Standards

• Academy of Pediatrics

• Child Mind Institute

• American Medical Association

• American Academy of Family Physicians

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

• American Psychological Association

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

◾ Document Brunswick’s current Health & Wellness curriculum

• United Educators

• Independent Boys’ School Coalition

Working Group Research & Process

Process

◾ Identify current Health & Wellness curriculum strengths and needs

◾ Determine Health & Wellness staffing and faculty training needs

◾ Review and update current Health & Wellness urgent and emergent protocols

Working Group Research & Process

Process

◾ Develop Health & Wellness Essential Elements with specific educational goals

◾ Determine physical space needs for Health & Wellness

◾ Create “Teacher Tool Boxes” for specific topic knowledge and skill development

Working Group Research & Process

Process

◾ Account for national “Gold Standard Components” for whole-school engagement*

• Physical education & physical activity

• Nutrition environment & services

• Health education

• Social & emotional climate

• Physical environment

• Health services

• Counseling

• Employee wellness

• Community involvement

• Family engagement

*As generally specified by the CDC and major national professional associations

Brunswick’s Expanded Health & Wellness Program Plans to Move Ahead

Consensus on Distinct Areas of Focus

Five Essential Elements

Physical

Social

Emotional/ Psychological

Intellectual

Spiritual

Health &

5 Essential Elements

Health & Wellness: 5 Essential Elements

◾ Coping mechanisms & stress management

Emotional/ Psychological

◾ Self-advocacy

◾ Self-respect & respect of others

◾ Self-awareness & emotional literacy

◾ Resiliency

◾ Effective communication of emotions

◾ Positive acceptance of emotional support

◾ Understanding of family relationships

Health & Wellness: 5 Essential Elements

◾ Sense of belonging

Social

◾ Development of meaningful and respectful relationships

◾ Accountability to self & others

◾ Ability to support & receive support from others

◾ Digital responsibility

◾ Community & global citizenship

Health & Wellness: 5 Essential Elements

◾ Common sense & decision making

Intellectual

◾ Curiosity, creativity & humor

◾ Desire to increase understanding

◾ Openness to new ideas & experiences; flexibility

◾ Embracement of challenges without fear of failure

◾ Appreciation of thought diversity

◾ Understanding of one’s learning strengths & organizational skills

Health & Wellness: 5 Essential Elements

◾ Appreciation of a life purpose & meaning

Spiritual

◾ Mindfulness & inner peace

◾ Service & generosity to others

◾ Living in accordance with morals, ethics, and values

◾ Self & worldly reflection

◾ Appreciation of one’s responsibility to contribute to a greater good for all

Brunswick’s Expanded Health & Wellness Program

Whole-School Integration

◾ Staffing & Structure

◾ Physical Space

◾ Division-Specific Approaches

◾ Broader Community Engagement

Organization & Structure

Staffing Director of Health & Wellness

3 Counselors (Pre/Lower, Middle & Upper)

3 Nurses (Pre/Lower, Middle & Upper)

4 Athletic Trainers

Physical Space

Dedicated physical space for Health & Wellness on each division’s campus that includes staff offices and educational meeting rooms

Divisional Approaches: Expanded Program

Actualization of the 5 Essential Elements*

◾ Encourage self-awareness through positive feedback and S.M.A.R.T goals

◾ Integrate health & wellness topics into advisories, academic classes, sports, arts, music, orientations, and field trips

◾ Educate through small group discussions based on real-life experiences

* Tailored for each division and grade based on developmental needs and age appropriateness

Divisional Approaches: Expanded Program

Actualization of the 5 Essential Elements*

◾ Provide challenging experiences that increase responsibility, use decision making skills, and increase confidence

◾ Develop individual strategies for recognizing and managing stress and emotions

◾ Encourage questions and selfadvocacy, and validate curiosity

◾ FUN! Events, contests, wellness days, community events, and guest speakers

* Tailored for each division and grade based on developmental needs and age appropriateness

Broader Community Engagement of Parents &

Families

◾ Speaker Series

◾ Wellness Awareness Days & Newsletters

◾ Class Coffees

◾ Orientations

◾ Curriculum Nights

◾ Summer Readings

◾ Website

◾ Parent Discussion Groups

Brunswick’s Expanded Health & Wellness Program

Projected Results: What Do Our Boys Gain?

Projected Results: What Do Our Boys Gain?

A Comprehensive Experience: Care for Self & Others

◾ A hands-on education in physical, emotional/ psychological, intellectual, social, and spiritual development that results in strengthened life skills and competencies

◾ A community that values and emphasizes the importance of all aspects of health and wellness

◾ A greater awareness of the importance of healthy practices in illness prevention, pursuit of goals, happiness, resiliency, and meaningful relationships

Projected Results: What Do Our Boys Gain?

A Comprehensive Experience: Care for Self & Others

◾ A self-awareness of psychological strengths and best learning practices

◾ Dedicated faculty and an experienced Health & Wellness team supporting every boy through his development and journey

Projected Results: What Do Our Boys Gain?

A Comprehensive Experience: Care for Self & Others

◾ Health & Wellness Portfolio: Documentation of each boy’s steps in his journey

• Written self-reflections and essays

• Teacher, advisor, coach, and mentor comments and reflections

• Peer reflections from group activities

• Parent letters and reflections from Health & Wellness parent/ child programs

• Successful academic and extra-curricular assessments and accomplishments demonstrating Essential Elements

• Academic and extra-curricular assessments that provide learning opportunities and demonstrate resilience

• Presentations (Capstone, Senior Review, Senior Voice)

Projected Results: What Do Our Boys Gain?

A Comprehensive Experience: Care for Self & Others

◾ A deeper appreciation of the importance of working for a better community, a greater good, and a life of purpose

Brunswick’s Expanded Health & Wellness Program

Next Steps: Looking Ahead

◾ Action Items

◾ CapEx & Endowed Operating Buckets

Next Steps: Looking Ahead

Action Items

◾ Officially appoint full-time Director of Health & Wellness

◾ Plan for creation of divisional Health & Wellness spaces, including Upper School master planning assessment

◾ Select 2022–2023 speaker series for parents, if possible

◾ Assess value of pilot programs currently running, finalize scope and sequence for 2022–2023 Health & Wellness curriculum for all divisions

Next Steps: Looking Ahead

Action Items

◾ Finalize program elements to be introduced during 2022–2023 academic year

◾ Schedule parent/student 2022–2023

Health & Wellness orientations

◾ Explore strategies for engaging additional school counselor

◾ Complete FinComm and DevComm refinement of estimated operating and capex expenses and related fundraising requirements

Next Steps: Looking Ahead

CapEx & Endowed Operating Buckets

Staff: Director of Health & Wellness

Additional Counselor

Speaker Series: Three Expert Speakers per Year

Resource Materials (Initial Acquisition/Three Campuses)

Resource Renewals

Assemblies, Activities, Events for Students

Endowed Fund for Financial Assistance for Outside Counseling

Attributable Construction, Renovation & Furnishing (Three Campuses)