Living
Health and Wellness
A Community that Centers Health and Wellness
Westover is a school community that centers health and wellness, taking a holistic approach to supporting students in a girls’ centered boarding school environment. Led by our School Counselor, Westover seeks to foster an authentic, compassionate school culture anchored in a deep belief and ongoing commitment to the connection between the heart and mind. We know when we nurture genuine relationships, promote social connectedness, and build resiliency and life skills anything is possible. This approach informs decisions around school life ranging from our daily schedule, curriculum and programming, educational partnerships, professional development, and families association education and support resources.
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Head of School Polly Fredlund
The development of habits of mind and heart is a cornerstone of our educational mission. We believe that fostering a school culture that centers health and wellness is critical in giving our students the resiliency and life skills they need to navigate the world.
Counseling Services
Westover supports emotional well-being through the counseling program, including a School Counselor who is a trained mental health professional and expert in the developmental, emotional, and psychological needs of high school age students. We believe counseling and mental health is integral to the overall health and success of our students.
Health Center
The Health Center is a central part of the care team at Westover provides a range of services to support student health, including daily administration of medicines, immunizations, illness triage, coordination of consults with specialists,transportation to off-campus medical appointments, and ongoing integration of health education as part of campus life.
Health and Wellness: Educational Partnerships
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JED Foundation
Westover has a three-year partnership with the JED Foundation to support a school-wide culture that elevates emotional well-being by building resiliency and life skills.Read More -
Challenge Success
Westover partners with Challenge Success to elevate health and wellness as a cornerstone of our educational design through elevating student voice and implementing research-based, equity-centered strategies that improve student well-being, belonging, and engagement.Read More -
SpeakUp!
SpeakUp! is dedicated to helping teens develop supportive relationships with the adults in their lives. Westover partners with SpeakUp to support programming for teens to talk openly, honestly and without judgment about difficult topics and reach out for support within their homes and schools. We know everyone benefits from building lifelong skills on how to have difficult conversations with important people in their lives.Read More
Health and Wellness: Book Talks
Westover values lifelong education and elevates conversations around health and wellness with our faculty, staff, students and families. The following are books that have been a part of professional development and Families Association education at Westover.
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The Emotional Life of Teenagers
by Lisa Damour, PhDThis New York Times bestseller is an urgently needed guide to help parents understand their teenagers’ intense and often fraught emotional lives—and how to support them through this critical developmental stage. -
Anxious Generation
by Jonathan HaidtIn The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. -
Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators
by Elena AguilarOnward tackles the problem of educator stress, and provides a practical framework for taking the burnout out of teaching. This actionable framework gives teachers concrete steps toward a simple shift in mindset that impacts individual outlook. We know taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is one of the most important things you can do. -
Happy Teachers Change the World: A Guide for Cultivating Mindfulness in Education
by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine WeareWe know students benefit when they engage with happy teachers. This joyous and reenergizing practical guides provides a roadmap for teachers on caring for themselves and their students, with inspiring wisdom from real educators
Be Boldly You
Westover School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, or disability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. As a gender-diverse girls school, Westover welcomes applicants and students who are assigned female at birth and/or identify as girls. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions and financial aid policies, and athletic or other school-administered programs.