A Week to Flourish: Lawrenceville Centers Wellbeing After Winter Break

The Lawrenceville community began the new year with a school-wide focus on wellbeing. A weeklong schedule of programming and events designed to build student resilience and community belonging kicked off with an address by sports psychologist Jarrod Spencer on the importance of sleep.

“Your mental health matters,” Spencer told students during his speech. “It matters to me, our faculty, our staff, our educators, and it matters to the person sitting next to you.”

Spencer gave an interactive presentation focused on what he said is the number one factor in mental health and performance - sleep.

He shared three key strategies to help students improve their sleep, encouraging them to not sleep next to their phones at night; to keep sleep consistent, noting that getting even three or four good nights of sleep each week will measurably improve focus, attention, and overall performance; and, to try a “nappuccino” strategy, taking a 26-minute nap or relaxation about eight hours after waking.

“Take one or two of the ideas I shared and go apply that to your life, and you will see an unbelievable uptick in your mental health and performance,” Spencer said. “That’s what I want for you.”

After Spencer’s talk, students gathered in co-advisory groups for structured discussions about developing healthy sleep hygiene. Students reflected on Spencer’s talk and their own individual sleep habits, then reviewed strategies and talked through small, doable changes they could incorporate into their sleep routines.

Wellbeing Activities Across Campus

In addition to keynote events, students were invited to participate in a variety of activities each day representing various aspects of Lawrenceville’s wellness wheel. Throughout the week, students collected “slices” of the wheel after attending activities, ranging from yoga to crafting in Bunn Library, to religious services, athletic events, and more. 

“Wellbeing is an active, ongoing process to make choices to set up a healthy and fulfilling life,” Dean of Campus Wellbeing Michaela Chipman told the audience at an all-School meeting. “All the opportunities planned for this week allow for a multidimensional approach–not a one-size-fits-all approach. Your wellbeing is yours to develop, nurture and protect.”

“By design, there is no interruption to students’ academic or athletic schedules to affirm for them that wellbeing is a critical part of life, intentionally cultivated among and throughout life’s commitments,” she noted.

“Our goal is to set Lawrentians up for a lifetime of prioritizing their wellbeing through actionable items to help them resiliently weather life’s ups and downs, rather than chasing a fleeting sense of happiness,” Chipman said.

As the week continued, students built community through House events, and participated in wellbeing workshops and a fair during a weekend “Day of Flourishing.” A panel discussion with alumni working in wellbeing careers capped off the week of programming.

"My main goal for the week was to show students that wellbeing is accessible and integrated into our everyday school life,” said Audrey Liu ’26, student council wellness representative. “I hope they learned that wellbeing isn't just about one thing, but about finding a balance between mental, physical, and emotional health. It was incredibly rewarding to see the feedback from the Wellness Council come to life. My favorite moment was definitely the Wellbeing Fair. Seeing so many students engage with the gratitude wall and interactive stations proved that our community is eager to support one another."

Nutrition and Dining

Kelly Wise, associate athletic director-peak performance, offered nutrition consultations for students in the dining hall throughout the week.

Wise, who also teaches a nutrition course for Second Form students as part of the personal development section of the GPS program, said her goal for the consultations was to highlight resources at students’ disposal all year long.

“Dining provides a fantastic resource,” Wise said. “My goal is teaching students how to navigate the dining hall in a way that can best serve them while creating a healthy, judgement-free space.”

Wise said she works on science based foundational skills, like being a discerning consumer of "diet culture" or teaching students to select whole foods as opposed to turning to takeout, delivery, or supplementation while still meeting their fueling needs.

“At this point in their lives,” she said, “how do students learn to use what’s in front of them on a daily basis to optimize fueling without turning to external resources?”

Chipman worked with Lawrenceville’s dining services team to pilot flexible dining hours and offerings like an after hours deli bar for students to create to-go meals, as well as specialized menus emphasizing choice and increased signage throughout the Tsai Commons dining hall featuring nutritional information. 

“Cultivating a sense of wellbeing is a full-time project, a lifelong project that requires your care, attention, planning, and time,” Chipman told students at an all-School meeting, bookending the week of programming.

“The question I would leave you with is, if your sense of wellbeing, which is lifelong, throughout your time at Lawrenceville and beyond, if it is not worth your time, attention, and intention, then really, what is?” she said. “We are all here to support you as you continue to develop your sense of wellbeing and learn what helps you feel well. We are all interested in your thriving and flourishing.”

See more photos from Wellbeing Week events here.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.