Following the PSAT, students now have many activities to choose from instead of having to go to class after a long exam.
On Wednesday Oct. 8, the Upper School participated in its first-ever Relaxation and De-Stress Day following PSAT and Pre-ACT testing. 9th graders took the Pre-ACT in the Steam Center, while 10th and 11th graders completed the PSAT in advisor classrooms from 9:00am to 12:30pm.
After lunch, instead of going to classes as has been done in the past, students joined a variety of wellness activities like yoga, board games, outdoor sports, art, and STEAM workshops from 1:35 to 3:10pm.
The Relaxation and De-stress day marks a change from previous years.
“We used to make our poor students take the PSAT and then go through a full day of classes, which is tough, right?” US Director Mrs. Conn said. “So we asked ourselves, what else can we do?”
The team came up with more than a dozen relaxing and fun options to help students decompress. From quiet reading sessions to active games, the day is designed to give everyone something enjoyable to look forward to after the exams.
“We’re hoping students walk away feeling like their day wasn’t just about a test,” Conn said. “This is about helping them recover, recharge, and maybe even have some fun.”
Freshman Landon Baxendale participated in board games and spikeball.
“It was fun,” Baxendale said, “you could get your mind off of the test and enjoy the final hours of school.”
Junior Blake Lynch spent his Relaxation Day working on projects as part of his membership in TSA (Technology Student Association).
“We worked on a plane project for a competition that’s coming up, on flight endurance.” Lynch said the idea is to build a plane that stay in the air for the longest amount of time possible. “I usually don’t have a lot of time, just lunch, so the day gave me a lot of time to lock in and work on it.”
“Next year it’s a good idea to do again,” Lynch added. “It’s a nice break after PSAT. My brain was pretty fried and I couldn’t have gone to another class.”
