Wellness

Lower School Students at Halloween Carnival on Maret's Front Lawn

Our best measure of success is if our students are thriving in all areas of their lives. At Maret, students are empowered to make healthy choices, lead balanced and fulfilling lives, and contribute to a positive culture at school and beyond.

Empowering Students to Lead Healthy Lives

We believe that wellness is an active and evolving process of learning how to take care of one’s emotional, social, and physical well-being. We take a comprehensive approach to promoting student well-being, and we strive to be responsive to the diverse and changing needs of all of our students from kindergarten through high school.

Six Prongs of Wellness

Identity
Digital Citizenship
Sexuality
Mental Health
Physical Health
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

From Our School Philosophy

We encourage our students to tackle challenges in a culture of nurtured risk taking. We want them to push beyond their comfort zone so they can build resilience, character, and robust problem-solving skills. We understand the need for balance in our lives and seek opportunities to infuse our school day with moments of laughter and surprise.

The Wellness Curriculum

The curriculum covers a variety of topics in age-appropriate ways. Not all topics listed below are covered at every grade level, but every grade level does address each of the six prongs of wellness.

Identity Topics

How to be an ally and upstander
Defining social identifiers (race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, age, ability, sexual orientation, religion, family structure, nationality, and others)
Defining discrimination, prejudice, microaggressions, implicit bias, stereotypes, and privilege
Understanding racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia and how to disrupt these behaviors

Digital Citizenship Topics

Sexuality Topics

Mental Health Topics

Physical Health Topics

SEL Topics

What does Wellness class look like?

Students gain the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices and to successfully navigate interpersonal relationships. They practice these skills through interactive games, role playing, discussion, and project-based activities. The Wellness curriculum responds to issues and current events within the Maret community and beyond, and gives students feedback from faculty and their peers in real time.

Wellness is More Than a Class

Wellness stands as one of Maret’s four pillars alongside academics, athletics, and the arts. All students attend a Wellness class each week, but our approach to student well-being doesn’t stop there. Relevant themes and skills are woven into the academic curriculum, and teachers, advisors, grade deans, college counselors, administrators, and athletic coaches all commit to supporting students in leading healthy lives.

A Parent's Perspective

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What I appreciated was [the teachers'] ability to pull out his best." Candace Thompson, P ’21

Student Thrive Index

Twice a year, students participate in Maret’s Student Experience survey, and Director of Institutional Research Eric Heilman helps process the responses and interpret the results. The survey is designed to shed light on how students are feeling and their level of engagement with all aspects of school life. Data from the surveys is then shared with faculty who use the feedback to drive improvement and innovation that serve student needs—such as the Wellness program and the new schedule.

Together, We Grow

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