Wellness Wednesday allows students to take a break from their stressful week

Kelley Sussman

Executive Opinion Editor

At the beginning of the school year, Mira Costa High School introduced Wellness Wednesdays, which provides students with a day for Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Students meet with a teacher through zoom for about thirty minutes each Wednesday. Instead of going through a block schedule, students are only required to zoom with their SEL teacher. The goal of “Wellness Wednesdays” is for students to catch up on school work, ask for help, make up assignments, and provide students with a positive environment. It allows students to focus on something other than school. The implication of “Wellness Wednesdays” is truly beneficial for all students on campus.

On Wednesdays, students are assigned 36 minutes of asynchronous learning activities from each class period. Synchronous learning is not required, but is still offered through office hours, where students can see their teachers through zoom and ask questions. This still gives students an opportunity to talk to teachers about the curriculum but also gives them an opportunity to take a break from school and focus on their well being. 

Online school has affected everyone’s lives. Students have to be more organized to stay on top of all their classes. Online schooling requires students to be in contact with their teachers a lot more than if they were in class learning. Many students find this difficult which causes them stress throughout the week. They are constantly on their computers at home doing school work for most of their day. Students need a day to relax from school and to be able to get off of their computers and do something active. SEL gives students the chance to talk to their peers and relieve stress from their busy schedules.  

With the implementation of block scheduling, most students have class for around 2 hours for each period. This means that they are either on a zoom call or doing work for that duration of time. With 3-4 classes per day, students work tirelessly to finish all assignments. Wednesdays give them a chance to sleep in, catch up on work, ask questions, and get away from their computers. For many students, it is very difficult to stay focused for that long while they could be doing other things at home. “Wellness Wednesdays” provides a place for students to unwind and get help. 

Overall, Wellness Wednesdays are a great addition to the students’ schedule in the 2020-2021 school year. It gives students the opportunity to catch up on school work, ask for help, make up assignments, and provide students with a positive environment. It also allows them to sleep in and focus on their health and their well being. Online schooling causes students a lot of stress and it is going to take a while for everyone to settle in and begin a routine. With the help of Wellness Wednesdays, students will be able to relax more during the week instead of being stressed from all of their school work.