Rio Americano will open a Wellness Center next week, a new space for students feeling stressed or anxious to take a break.
The center, located in room B4, will initially be available on Thursdays during all periods and will be staffed by teachers during their prep periods.
Any student feeling stressed or anxious can request a pass from their teacher to go to the Wellness Center for 15 minutes, organizer and senior Marina Kidwell said.
Teachers have discretion to approve passes if they are giving a lecture or test.
The Wellness Center contains bean bags, fidget toys and seating areas to help students calm down and relax. All materials for the space were provided by the students this year and last year.
Kidwell pursued setting up the Wellness Center with fellow senior Elisheva Joelson for their Civitas senior project.
“It’s important to make sure that students are healthy and that they know that there is a place at school to take a break,” Kidwell said. “I thought it would be nice for students to have a place to go because I know that sometimes school can be really overwhelming. Sometimes you just need to sit down and take a break for 10 or 15 minutes, and then you’re good to go.”
The project has been coordinated with the school equity team, who has been planning the space for about a year.
“It really supports the students who have anxiety or just something happening, a safe place for them to be able to go throughout the day,” Rio teacher and equity liaison Rene Mikluscak said.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you should instead speak to your counselor or the school therapist.
