November 13 was a difficult, emotional day for members of the LM community, as it marked the one year anniversary of the passing of beloved LM principal Sean Hughes. In an effort to ease the stress and remember Hughes, the following Monday November 14 was a “Wellness Day” for LM staff and students. No regular classes were held, no work was assigned, and students were given the opportunity to join in a variety of activities hosted by club leaders and teachers. These activities ranged from volleyball clinics, coloring, mediation, and fall foliage walks. Those who elected not to participate in an activity spent class time playing board games, watching movies, or other fun pastimes.
Spanish teacher and Student Council advisor Sean Capkin mentions his goal behind the organizing this years Wellness Day, “I suggested a Wellness Day to Stroup back in September, I just thought that the staff and senior class especially would be thinking about Hughes and it didn’t seem right for business to go on as usual without recognizing Hughes in some way.”
Ultimately, the day was implemented for people to reflect on Hughes’ impact and limit any additional stress to an already emotional time. “Giving the opportunity for people to have a peaceful Sunday night knowing the next day wouldn’t cause any stress, especially given the circumstances, was something that we hope the Wellness Day is able to do” shares Capkin. Many believed that Wellness Day did in fact help their mental well-being. “It gave the opportunity to let students clear their minds, and get a break from the competitive culture LM provides” says junior Noah Barkan. Liam Gurevitch ’24, agrees “Wellness day was wonderful, I loved it!”Others, however, remarked that there weren’t enough activities to sign up for, Elia Bonita ’25 mentions “by the time I was signing up, almost all the activities I wanted to do were gone so I was just forced to stay with my classes all day.” Whether in class or out, Wellness Day provided a much needed break from a stressful Monday. Given the difficult circumstances, providing an opportunity for students and staff to reflect on Hughes and the life he brought to the hallways of LM was much needed closure.
Ultimately, Capkin feels the day was a success, “For people that engaged in the activities, they really enjoyed it and the feedback I’ve heard is generally positive.”Based on the success of this inaugural Wellness Day, LM students and staff will hopefully be seeing more stress-free days in the future.
