MIND BODY SPIRIT &

Put yourself in the shoes of a boy recently enrolled at boarding school. You are nervous to meet people, anxious about the new environment, and right when you begin to settle in, FOMO hits. This “fear of missing out” is triggered by social media posts from your friends back home. You try to stop looking at Snapchat, but your phone notifies you every time your friends post.

Wellness At Christ School

by Graylyn Loomis ’10

teenagers face; Richard Reeves’ 2022 book Of Boys and Men is one of the most enlightening about males. Among many points, Mr. Reeves explains that boys are underperforming in school and college compared to girls. “Girls are 14 percentage points more likely than boys to be ‘school ready’ at age 5, for example, controlling for parental characteristics,” writes Reeves. He writes that for every 100 bachelor’s degrees awarded to girls, 74 are awarded to boys.

The pandemic exacerbated many of these already alarming trends amongst boys. Christ School’s position as an all-boys school allows us to directly address the increased need for interventions and programming at the school level. “There is a need, perhaps more than ever, to educate our boys about self-care and to help them develop healthy lifestyles,” said Dr. Jenkins.

“The developmental task of the teen is to begin to individualize and develop a separate identity from one’s family,” said Dr. Lisa Garner, Christ School’s Director of Student Counseling and Wellness Programming.

“Teens rely heavily on peer interaction and socialization to refine their ideas about who they are – to develop a sense of self – and rely on social interaction as a powerful stress reliever too. The pandemic significantly diminished peer interactions. Teens are working on catching up now.”

Dr. Lisa Garner, Director of Student Counseling and Wellness Programming, began work at Christ School in August of 2021. Prior to this, Dr. Garner spent more than 20 years living and working in Chicago with a professional practice focused exclusively on work with children, teens, and families in community, school, and residential settings. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified school counselor. Dr. Garner is passionate about helping each Christ School boy grow and develop into the best version of himself. Dr. Garner and her husband, Lee, are proud parents to Lawson, Lily, and Luke ’24.

Operating with the Best Data

At Christ School, recent wellness initiatives started with gathering data. “In late February 2022, our students participated in a comprehensive survey based on eight dimensions of wellness, including physical, occupational, financial, environmental, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions. This anonymous survey, completed by 273 Greenies, generated valuable data for our Wellness Programming Committee (WPC) to analyze throughout the spring and summer,” said Dr. Jenkins.

The survey results were a reminder of the many challenges that teens face daily – concerns about self-image, confidence, and fitting in – that are universal and timeless. “That’s all the normal stuff,” said Dr. Garner. “But, when you add in the stress and conditions of the pandemic, our survey uncovered significant emotional and mental health challenges as well.”

“Data showed us that the boys have a range of preferred coping strategies, encompassing both healthy and unhealthy habits. Listening to music, exercise, sleeping, and watching TV or movies are popular strategies. Unfortunately, we also noticed the endorsement of some unhealthy strategies, including excessive gaming and social media use, substance use, gambling, and pornography.”

Technology and social media use rose to the top of concerns for our boys according to their

“Across the country – before COVID 19 and exacerbated by two years of lockdowns and social distancing – adolescents report feeling increased stress, including high levels of anxiety, loneliness, and depression.”

What Changes Are We Making?

Knowledge is power - Throughout the year, students participate in form-based programming (speakers, group discussions, and activities) designed to help students identify and develop habits that enhance self-awareness, healthy relationships, mental health/positive coping, and physical health.

Food for thought - In the Wellness Survey, more than 50% of all boarding students reported eating breakfast two or fewer times per week, and 60% of day students reported never eating breakfast. Knowing the importance of eating well for energy, engagement, and academic performance, the school now requires all boarding students to attend breakfast. Starting this year, boys also have healthy food options available for them after evening study hall in Stolz Hall. The “4th Meal” arose from to the combination of our boys being hungry after study hall and the Student Center snack bar being offline for renovations. “We wanted to provide the guys with food that they could grab after study hall,” said Director of Campus Life, Benjie Colberg, “in hopes of offering healthier options than some of the snacks that they tended to eat in the past.” In addition to a healthy eating option after study hall, the 4th Meal is an opportunity for the boys to come together in community, giving them something to look forward to after study hall on weeknights. They leave their dorms, converging on Stolz, to discover the surprise 4th Meal option that evening. Sage Dining does a great job of switching the options nightly while providing tasty, healthy choices. survey answers. The concerns included amount of time spent on social media, effects of social media on self-image and self-confidence, use of pornography, and effects on relationships.

With guidance from Dr. Garner, the WPC identified three areas of focus – 1. technology use; 2. emotional well-being and belonging; and 3. physical health – and developed actionable health and wellness recommendations to address these opportunities.

The value of time - The daily class and evening residential schedules were changed for the 2022-23 year based on feedback from students, faculty, and staff. The location and structure of evening-supported study hall also changed to ensure students have an expert in each academic department available to them during that time. Historically, Christ School evenings had operated on an “In Room and Lights Out” timeframe, where the first time the boys had to be in their dorm was at In Rooms, and fifteen minutes later they were expected to fall sleep. We shifted our evening model to have an “In Dorm” check in at 10:00 p.m., with “In Rooms” at 10:30 and lights out at 10:45, thus giving the boys more time to wind down with their dorm mates. In addition to improved sleep patterns, house parents have observed an improvement in the boys’ jobs and room inspections.

Building connection - Many students enjoy playing video games to decompress and interact with friends online; games can be a fun, healthy part of boys’ lives. However, excessive gaming can compromise students’ well-being and their connection with our community.

We’ve adjusted our gaming policies to limit time spent playing video games to specific times on the weekends.

The Social Institute - “We decided to partner with The Social Institute (TSI) this year,” said Dr. Garner. TSI is a gamified, proactive, systematic, and sustainable approach to promote positive decision making and student well-being. TSI gives students, parents, and advisors tools to discuss technology use, social media use, and more. The goal is to develop high-character decision making on online platforms, equip families and faculty with resources to inform healthy tech standards, and foster connection between students and faculty. Advisory groups began using TSI this fall, and students have had lessons about recognizing the science behind screen time and social media, building habits to enhance peak performance under pressure, understanding and mastering the mind and body’s response to stress, and examining how outside pressures lead us to define ourselves on social media.

Looking Ahead

In some ways, Christ School has been doing this work for 123 years. In other ways, we’re just getting started. As the school looks ahead, each year will require changes and new strategies to address wellness in an ever-changing landscape. There are ongoing improvements to the physical plant like the $2m+ renovation of the Patrick Beaver Student Center and a rethinking of how we use spaces like Stolz Hall. We will continue gathering data from our students and young alumni to inform our decisions. Our educational programs and wellness policies we’ve put in place will change and adapt with each subsequent school year. There is no finish line in the world of health and wellness. The work continues and like all Greenies, we strive to become better and better. n