Old Rochester Regional Junior High School Holds Inaugural ‘Wellness Morning’

Students practiced stretching exercises during Wellness Morning held at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School on Tuesday, March 24. (Photo Courtesy Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55)

MATTAPOISETT — Mental health and wellness are on the menu at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School.

Superintendent Michael S. Nelson, Principal Silas Coellner and Assistant Principal
Kelly Chouinard are pleased to share that Old Rochester Regional Junior High School held its first Wellness Morning on Tuesday, March 24, in a school-wide event that focused on fostering resiliency and healthy decision-making, featuring stress management activities including stretching, breathing exercises, and social-emotional “recharge stations.” The school plans to make this an annual event.

“Our goal for Wellness Morning was to ensure that every student feels seen, supported and connected,” said Director of Guidance and Student Services Christina Costello Cioffi. “Wellness Morning reinforced that our well-being is not just something we talk about — it’s a skill set we can actively develop, practice and strengthen over time. We are really encouraged by the impact of this year’s event and hope to continue growing Wellness Morning into an annual tradition. I’d like to recognize our Counseling Team for their leadership in helping bring Wellness Morning from an idea to a successful event. I’d also like to thank our teachers and counselors for facilitating stations, as our students wouldn’t have had such a positive experience without their support and enthusiasm.”

During the morning, seventh-grade students took part in an annual SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) screening, facilitated by the nurse’s office and guidance office, focusing on healthy decision-making and awareness. Eighth graders participated in SOS, which stands for Signs of Suicide, an activity that emphasized help-seeking skills and mental health awareness.

At the same time, students rotated through a series of wellness stations led by school staff, including the following activities:

• Connection and Kindness Lab — This station offered a social-emotional “recharge” by allowing students to build community through low-stakes, positive interactions. Students participated in a short gratitude-based project, creating thank you notes and letters for people who support them, such as a parent, guardian, teacher, coach or other trusted adult. The goal was to strengthen connection and build empathy, helping students reflect on the positive relationships in their lives during a high-pressure developmental stage.
  
  
• Creative Expression Station — This station provided a low-key calming space for students to reset through art. Students were able to choose from options such as mandala coloring, free drawing, word art, mini vision boards, affirmation posters and more. The focus was not so much on building artistic skills but on using creativity as a healthy way to unwind, relax, express feelings and take a mental break.  
• Yoga/Movement stretches — This station offered students a chance for a physical reset for the school day, helping students release tension from sitting at desks so much and spending time on digital devices. Through guided, athletic stretching, this station encouraged self-regulation and mindfulness, giving students a quick, healthy way to manage stress and return to learning with improved focus.
  
  
• Healthy Competition — Designed to provide students with an opportunity to engage in healthy competition in a fun, low-pressure environment. Students were able to play non-technology games that encouraged communication and connection with one another. The focus was on building positive relationships while practicing teamwork and good sportsmanship.

Wellness Morning builds on the work of the District Wellness Committee, in keeping with the District Wellness Program Policy implemented by the Old Rochester Regional School District and Massachusetts Superintendency Union #55. This committee, which meets at least four times per year, works to assess the implementation of the District Wellness Policy and to promote it, along with overall student and staff wellness.

“We’re very proud to be able to hold our inaugural Wellness Morning, showing our students how important it is to cultivate wellness and maintain a healthy mind,” said Assistant Principal Kelly Chouinard. “This event was spearheaded by our Director of Guidance Christina Costello Cioffi. Without her leadership this event would not have been as successful as it was. We hope this becomes an annual tradition here, providing our students with tools that they can put to use in their daily lives, empowering them to take charge of their mental health and prioritize wellness in what can be such a busy, stressful world.”

“Wellness Morning showed our students that we care about them and their well-being,” said Principal Coellner. “It was such a great event. We look forward to our next Wellness Morning and to otherwise continue stressing the important help-seeking and self-regulation tools that we learned on this day. We want our students to know when to seek help when they feel overwhelmed and that support is available for them.”

“This event underscores how seriously we take health and wellness in our school system,” said Superintendent Nelson. “Thank you to all of our staff and teachers who helped implement and facilitate this event. It was a great success and we look forward to repeating it.”

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The athletic stretching station brought students through guided exercises that encouraged self-regulation and mindfulness, giving students a quick, healthy way to manage stress and return to learning with improved focus. (Photo Courtesy Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55)