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By: Katie Rizzo
Learning Services Coordinator
The vision for student wellness and support initiatives is grounded by a whole-child and developmentally-informed approach. At its core, our program recognizes that academic success is deeply connected to students’ mental, physical, and social-emotional well-being. By meeting students where they are and tailoring supports to their developmental needs, the program strives to create opportunities and an environment for students to thrive on campus and beyond.
While wellness and a holistic approach to educating children are not new considerations for Carey, recent years have marked a reinvigoration and renewed commitment to student well-being, with emerging research and a deeper understanding of our students’ needs driving a range of expanded, integrated supports.
A defining strength of the program is its interdisciplinary approach. In our early learning programs, occupational therapy is integrated as a campus-based support, offering students targeted support in areas such as self-regulation, sensory processing, and body awareness. These early interventions help students develop the skills to manage emotions, focus attention, and engage fully in classroom learning, linking physical regulation with mental health.
The program also extends into the broader campus environment. Teachers partner closely with student support staff to weave wellness strategies into daily instruction, reinforcing skills in natural classroom settings. Campus-wide activities such as Advisories, Nests, and Buddies promote community connection, resilience, and emotional literacy, ensuring that wellness is not siloed but embedded into the culture of the school.
An initiative that is in its early phases is our small counseling groups program, which aims to provide safe, developmentally responsive spaces where students can build coping strategies, strengthen relationships, and practice resilience. Also on the horizon this year are evidence-based student wellness assessments that incorporate student voice and formalize teacher input, while identifying both individual needs and broader trends across the school community. This data ensures that programming is both relevant and responsive, reflecting the real challenges students face.
Collaboration remains at the heart of our programming. By engaging teachers, administrators, families, and allied service providers such as occupational therapists and speech pathologists, the program builds a supportive environment where adults are equipped to recognize and respond to student needs. As we look ahead, increased systems of professional development offer an opportunity to further expand educators’ capacities, ensuring wellness practices are sustainable and consistent.
Looking forward, the program is evolving into a comprehensive ecosystem of care—one that seamlessly connects counseling groups, occupational therapy, classroom practices, educator development, and whole-school initiatives. With this integrated model, the long-term goal is to create sustainable supports that empower students academically, socially, and emotionally while equipping them with resilience skills for life.
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