Episcopal’s Health, Safety, and Well-Being (HSW) effort is a long-term, community-wide program designed to involve and benefit students, parents, and faculty and staff. Programming topics ensure that students learn self care, mental health best practices, coping skills, and how to make healthy choices. All content is delivered in an age-appropriate way in an environment that is open and caring so that all students may participate fully in discussions and associated activities. Faculty and staff also participate in programming, with professional development training occurring on campus so that adults on campus may more fully support and understand the pressures students experience related to stress, social media, and high-risk behaviors.
Lower Schools
Mindfulness-focused programs are incorporated into the curriculum on our Lower School campuses as a way to introduce the HSW program to elementary school students. The Beaches Campus welcomed Playful Minds for its first mindfulness event. Workshops were tailored appropriately for Kindergarten - grade 2 and grades 3 - 5. Additional events are planned around topics such as nutrition, Qi Gong, and spirituality. The St. Mark’s Campus has implemented the Monique Burr Foundation's Child Safety Matters program in Kindergarten through fifth grade which helps educate, equip, and empower students in the face of potentially precarious situations, with age appropriate application. The campus also works closely with the Florida Children's Institute and is employing mindfulness activities in each classroom, such as encouraging students to notice what is going on inside and outside of themselves. Teachers are using mindfulness activities for brain breaks, including yoga, deep breathing, finger fiddles, and others. In addition, nutrition and physical exercise have been incorporated into science and physical education programs.
Middle and Upper School
Episcopal provides dedicated time for student programming that allows the school to deliver information and education through national speakers as well as efforts designed in response to stated needs. Speakers are often available for parent events and faculty and staff professional development opportunities.