Health & Wellness

Boys have important resources—both in people and program—in addition to their faculty advisors: At RL, we offer occasional all-school programs, the purpose of which is to keep both students and faculty current on some of the fundamental issues facing adolescents today, such as alcohol and drug abuse, stress and depression, and forging healthy relationships.

In the Class VI year, boys participate in a health and wellness course emphasizing healthy choices in regard to sleep, nutrition, exercise, and managing stress. These boys also work with seniors in the Sixie Seminar in order to explore issues of character and commitment. In the Class V year, each student takes a course, taught by the Dean of Students, titled Personal Development. This course is designed to help students better understand their personal and physical changes during adolescence. Emphasis is placed on providing information that will aid students in defining their goals and values, and which will prepare them for the choices they will face. Time is spent studying and discussing issues of human sexuality, alcohol and drug use and abuse, physical and mental health, different forms of discrimination, and other issues central to the development of the whole person. The school has entered into a partnership with Children’s Hospital to allow for a fuller investigation of issues of mental health such as stress and depression. Boys in Class IV through Class I are also the beneficiaries of school-wide programs about health and wellness. Recent topics that students have learned about in this program are healthy relationships and consent, masculinity and gender identity, mental and emotional wellness, drug and alcohol addiction, and sleep health.

A boy may turn to any adult not just his advisor, for advice or counsel. The Head of School, Assistant Head of School for Program, and Dean of Students are especially well positioned to help him. If we believe a boy needs the help of a professional counselor, we refer the parents to our consulting psychologist who helps to arrange appropriate follow-up counseling.

Boys in need of special academic help have the opportunity to meet regularly on campus with the school’s learning specialist. Both faculty members and older students (through our in-house tutoring program) are available to help students with their academic work during free periods, as well.