NUTLEY, NJ — Nutley High School students and staff participated in their first Wellness Walk on May 20 to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month. Students learned about the benefits of positive mental health and had the ability to donate online to the National Alliance on Mental Illness during the week of the event.
“I had this idea for years and watching it take shape has been a rewarding experience. The goal of this event is to inspire students to prioritize their mental health and wellness as we teach them in our counseling curriculum. We need to practice what we preach and take some time out of the school day to model for them how important it is to make mental health and wellness the main components of a healthy lifestyle,” said event planner Victoria Lewis, NHS school counselor and CORE Ambassador co-adviser. The CORE Ambassador Club is a peer leadership group in which trained high school students provide mentorship to younger students.
At the event, students benefited from joint activities designed to highlight the importance of wellness and positive mental health. Prior to the actual walk, students received a healthy breakfast donated by ShopRite and participated in yoga facilitated by certified yoga instructor and MamasteCalm owner Genna Cimo, an NHS graduate.
“I think it is important to mobilize our graduates who are thriving with unique expertise in the field of wellness,” student assistance coordinator Lisa Cassilli said. “Genna is my former student, whom I have had the pleasure of watching blossom into a successful wife, mother and businesswoman. It felt natural to call upon her to give back her time to our students in the name of positive mental health.”
Students and staff wore T-shirts donated by the Municipal Alliance Committee. The Nutley Family Service Bureau was on hand to provide resources and information, as well as mindfulness and breathing activities for students.
“It is important for students to know how to access support within the community,” Lewis said.
Another NHS graduate, Robert Franicola, founder of Ultimate Entertainment, provided music during the walk and was master of ceremonies for the event.
The Wellness Walk team comprised Lewis, Cassilli, Cimo, Franicola, NHS counselor and CORE Ambassador co-adviser Alec Johnson, Nutley Public Safety assistant to the commissioner Sandra Carella, Nutley Family Service Bureau clinical director Staela Keegan, and NHS CORE Ambassador President Luca Blancato.
Wellness Walk at Nutley HS promotes positive mental health added by Editor on
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