Valadez Middle’s new Wellness Center offers students a calm space to decompress between classes

When students step into the Valadez Middle School Academy Wellness Center, they are welcomed by Wellness Specialist Yvette Kettering. After each middle schooler sets down their backpacks at the front of the room where a daily visual relaxation video plays on the projector, they can choose from a plethora of board games, meditative practices, and calming crafts. 

Valadez opened its new Wellness Center just after the winter break to provide each one of its students a space to “help them feel safe at school and learn skills to handle life stressors,” according to Kettering. 

The impact the Wellness Center has had on students is noticed by many, including Valadez Principal Dr. Christa Borgese. 

“The Wellness Center has been a positive addition to our campus,” Dr. Borgese said. “The students have shared that they love knowing that they have a safe, positive space to go to when they are feeling overwhelmed and need to regroup in order to be better able to learn.” 

While they benefit from counseling sessions provided by Kettering, students have the opportunity to develop better relaxation techniques.

Students can choose to spend time on the computers with access to meditations, calming music, color creativity games, and even watch live feeds of zoo animals. These resources are all provided through a Google site created by Kettering. After taking part in these activities, students have said that they feel more prepared returning to their classes. 

“My favorite part is coming here during the day and not having to worry about anything else,” said Alexa, a 7th grader who attended the Wellness Center during lunch and played a game of question-and-answer Jenga alongside her classmates and Kettering.

In its current space, the Wellness Center can accommodate 25 students at a time. Due to its immediate popularity, Kettering is creating new strategies to counsel a greater number of students and support them as needed.

“Many of the students who are having issues with anxiety, depression, or bullying for example, like to come to the Wellness Center to de-escalate their emotions,” Kettering said. “The Wellness Center gives them a place to calm down and talk about their feelings, thoughts, and any issues that are getting in the way of them focusing in class.”

Students can access the Wellness Center during break and lunch on a first-come, first-serve basis. Teachers can grant students permission to attend the Wellness Center during class if they are in need of immediate support.