Marvelwood's commitment to wellness reflects the School's understanding that a healthy mind and body enhance success factors in academics and in life. The School continually adapts its programming to reflect the changing needs of adolescents. As a school community, we strive to educate the whole student and understand the value of providing students with the knowledge, guidance, and support necessary to make informed, educated, and healthy life choices.
Like our approach to academics, we know that wellness is not a “one size fits all” curriculum. We seek to incorporate wellness and mindfulness into many different aspects of the Marvelwood experience, encouraging and empowering all members of our community to understand and guide their own well-being. Community members are introduced to a variety of approaches to wellness. Space and opportunity are created for individuals to discover what methods and approaches work best for them as they work through challenges, focus on their physical and mental health, and integrate their learning and healing to become the best versions of themselves. Our goal is to plant the seeds and provide the tools that will allow each person to develop the tools and understanding to identify and address their own unique wellness needs.
Some of the many ways in which wellness is thoughtfully and intentionally incorporated into our programming include:
In both academic classes and elective courses like “Mindfulness and Yoga,” students enjoy opportunities for brief or extended self-checks throughout the school day.
Our Advisory curriculum includes weekly check-ins that focus on proactive practices of introspection, goal-setting, reflection, and communication geared to finding success both in and out of the classroom.
Several weeks each term, Enrichment workshops and special events address various topics including healthy relationships, nutrition, cooking, yoga and mindfulness, digital citizenship, hidden history, and more.
After-school programming provides daily opportunities for exercise, physical activity, intensive engagement in the arts, or meditative work in the garden. Coaches and supervisors work to instill the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, positive self-talk, goal-setting, and resiliency.
Cultural and social awareness initiatives like IDEAS and CASA challenge all members of our school community to question and reflect intentionally upon the way we see the world, how and why we may categorize and judge others both consciously and unconsciously, and how to expand our understanding as we work to become better, more thoughtful, and deeply committed global citizens.
In all of their work with students, Marvelwood’s faculty and staff endeavor to strike a balance that teaches resilience and grit in an atmosphere of empathy and genuine understanding of each individual’s strengths and challenges.
Health & Wellness Programs
Health Services
Counseling Services
Wellness Programs
Enrichment Classes
Elective Classes: Meditation and Yoga
Health Services
Marvelwood's Health Office is in the center of campus and provides a full range of on-site health services to students. The nursing staff offers a friendly and warm environment, with full confidentiality. The Health Office is a dispensary for students who need medications administered while at school.
Counseling Services
On-Campus Counseling: Licensed professionals from
Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals are available on campus
every weekday for both scheduled and drop-in sessions.
Marvelwood School’s two, full-time counselors are on campus during throughout the school day five days a week. They provide students with support and education for their personal and academic success through confidential counseling, psychiatric consultation, outreach, and prevention services.
Our on-staff school counselors work to respond to and support students' ongoing individual development. Counselors assist students in working through normative developmental hurdles, fostering adaptive solutions, and developing a strong sense of self. In addition, counselors work closely with parents. Counselors are available to provide brief psychotherapy and other interventions directly to students utilizing motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral strategies. A consulting psychiatrist provides medication consultation and management, as needed.
Wellness Programs
Incorporated into daily life at the School, students have a multitude of opportunities to focus on their personal well-being and their role as a community member.
Enrichment Classes
At Marvelwood, learning isn’t limited to academics. Several Saturdays each term, Enrichment workshops and events invite students to explore topics that support personal growth and real-life readiness. From healthy relationships and mindfulness to digital citizenship, cooking, yoga, and hidden histories, Enrichment offers space to reflect, connect, and build lifelong skills that matter. Some examples include:
• Freshman Academy
• Etiquette and Social Skills
• Everyday skills such as how to change a tire
• Life After Marvelwood (seniors)
• Nutrition
• Mindfulness and Stress Management
• Global Citizenship
Elective Classes: Meditation and Yoga
Meditation and Yoga work together by bringing body, mind, and spirit into a state of harmony and balance. In this elective, students learn tools to manage stress and cultivate a practice that revitalizes the body, calms the mind, and deepens self-awareness.
