Group wellness lunches provide a check-in on students’ mental health and general well-being. Students from each grade are required to attend wellness lunches, and lunches are divided into smaller groups within each grade. They offer an opportunity for students to discuss, without judgment from their peers or adults, anything on their mind. It is also a space for students to come together, solve problems, and provide support. 

According to School Psychologist Natan Gottesman, the motivation for wellness lunches is to “help students cope with stress they experience from school, peer relationships, social media, and family interactions.”

The lunches aim to show students they are not alone in their experiences. Natan and Learning Specialist Molly Patterson hope that students will grow to understand the sources of their stress and effective strategies to manage it. 

These meetings give students an opportunity to interact more intimately with students outside of their immediate social groups and help to solidify a grade’s closeness and spirit.  Wellness lunches force students to take a break from their chaotic day and reflect. 

Natan believes that students who embrace the introspective nature of the wellness lunches will gain the most from them. He said, “Our sense is that those who are most receptive to gaining something from the groups do gain something.”