Wellness Wednesday, an extended fourth period for wellness lessons every Wednesday, was made mandatory by MCPS after the 2020-21 school year. These lessons are helpful but also take away from being able to do homework and meeting teachers during advisory.
Wellness Wednesday was created by MCPS to provide necessary information about relevant and important topics to all students. Topics include bullying and abuse lessons, general wellness and mental health, learning about cultures and history that are important to the U.S. or the state, and announcements from the school.
Students, however, face the problem of wanting to visit teachers during advisory for help, either before a huge test or to get help with homework, but can’t on Wednesdays due to the extended period for Wellness Wednesday.
Junior Naima Cho finds this to be the case, as she would rather the lessons be optional to attend. “Although I find it very helpful as sometimes I need to clear my mind and learn about wellness, other times I find it not to be the best use of my time as I would like to enjoy the flexibility of visiting teachers for help or just a quiet place to study or complete work,” Cho said.
However, Cho appreciates and enjoys the lessons about cultures and heritages, especially the Asian Heritage and Black History Month lessons. Cho feels represented and thinks that learning these cultures is important as she is mixed race with Korean and African American ancestors. “I enjoy the Black History and Asian Heritage lesson slides and videos. They not only make me feel proud of my culture but the lessons are also captivating and interesting to learn about, even the things I don’t know about my culture,” Cho said.
Cho said that the promotion of diversity and education about cultures can be vital at a societal level. “I think Wellness Wednesdays are necessary as they provide students with the necessary skills to thrive in environments rich with diversity,” Cho said.
Junior Naomi Negussie finds the weekly lessons to be important on a personal level. “I have found that I have learned and have been educated on a number of different topics and events through the help of wellness presentations and lessons,” Negussie said.“I believe Wellness Wednesday is important as it serves as an opportunity to educate our students on topics that are not usually covered within a typical classroom but are still important to be knowledgeable of.”
Although Wellness Wednesdays can be an obstacle for students trying to complete homework or seeking help during advisory, they teach everyone about health and culture, both personally and societally. The weekly lessons and videos teach students about more than just wellness but also cultures, leading to the understanding of diverse cultures, especially at this school.
