The Wellness Center was implemented at Glenshire Elementary School for the 2021-2022 school year. It was completely funded at the site level and is run by the school counselor. School counseling, both groups and individuals occurs five days a week, as well as drop ins by students needing to self-regulate, solve problems, resolve friendship issues, talk, and receive some love for many different reasons. The Wellness Center was designed as a calm, comfy, homey place for kids to be able to have a place that they know they can go to in order to take those breaths and get back to a place of being able to learn and utilize healthy social emotional skills. Please see attached pictures below.
The students sit in plush floor chairs in a circle on the rug. They love sitting in this configuration and on the floor. It helps in their regulation. The lights are low and natural light is utilized,along with soft music and twinkly lights. Plants and water fixtures surround the room as well as pictures of nature, rocks, and water. There is a Heartmath Station, calming corner, sand and kinetic sand trays, as well as a drawing corner.
We are now in our second year of having a Wellness Center and needs are better identified as students have utilized the Wellness Center. Kids need to rock. “The rocking motion soothes the brain and facilitates concentration along with the ability to think logically, which provides overall better cognitive processing.” “Rocking releases endorphins in the brain which can improve mood and reduce stress, anxiety, and tension. The world is full of stress and distractions and when extremely stressful situations arise, the body will naturally engage in a rocking motion to self-soothe and produce a feeling of nostalgia and relief.” The majority of students who come into the Wellness Center need to rock and the chairs I currently have do not rock. I would like to provide a set of floor rocking chairs for kids to be able to rock while solving their problems and self-regulating.
