As mental health is becoming a pressing issue all across the Nation, schools everywhere are trying to find the most effective ways to cope with the rising epidemic. At Bernards High wellness has been the focus for a number of faculty members and passion- ate students.

The guidance department is active in its pursuit to not only educate students but set them up with methods to cope, whether its holding wellness fairs, setting

up stations in the media center to create stress balls, offering free hot chocolate before school, or simply putting simple tasks on the chalkboards outside the Main Entrance.

Senior, Riley Burke was a student in AP Psychology last year and the stress unit got her think- ing about how it could impact students at the school. Her plan was to work with Ms. Cerza to create a BHS wellness club, open for everyone.

Burke said, “There is a negative stigma around mental illness,” so she wanted this club to be an outlet for students to take a break from the stress of everyday life.

What the club will do during its meetings though is extremely flexible and really dependent on what students want. Burke said, “The activities she has for the club range from yoga and meditation, gratitude journals, after school painting activities, mindfulness Mondays and Wellness Wednesdays, Gratitude jars in the halls, and motivational posters or notes all around the school.” Burke’s main interest is that the ideas are generated from the requests of members of the club.

Students around Bernards are proponents for the Wellness Club. Senior, Callie Hunnewell said, “The wellness club is a good idea because it’s a comfortable environment that allows people to de- stress and improve their mental health in positive ways.”

Burke said, “ I hope my club can have an effective outlet for the students, and a factor in eliminating the negative stigma that comes with discussing mental illness.”