Above: 4 of the 5 Wellness Days in the NSBORO calendar took place this fall before community members were asked to provide feedback to help plan next year’s calendar. The administration is sharing a high level report on the survey results. (images of NSBORO logo, and cropped from survey and school calendar)
At the Combined School Committees meeting tonight, members are scheduled to vote on the 2024-25 calendar for Northborough-Southborough Public Schools. As part of that, they will consider feedback on potential changes to the “Wellness Day” policy that was launched this year.
In preparation, the administration publicly shared highlights from the recent survey that they will be presenting to committee members.
In an email NSboro News update yesterday afternoon, Superintendent Gregory Martineau summed up the survey results as showing most responding community members understand and support the use of Wellness Days on certain religious holidays.
The groups that were less supportive than others were community members without school aged students and Algonquin Regional High School students and their parents.
The summary doesn’t specify what scores ARHS parents and students gave, and what percent would like to see the policy changed or rescinded. It did share a recommendation related to feedback from parents of the high schoolers:
Consideration should be given to addressing concerns raised by high school-level parents to enhance the overall effectiveness of Wellness Days.
For the opinions of the ARHS students themselves, they apparently answered with a range of opinions and recommendations. That included spreading the days out more. (You can see this year’s Wellness Days in purple in the calendar right. Yellow days are holidays, and green are Professional Development Days.)
Students also called for greater consistency and/or clarity on teacher expectations. Students asked for more limits on test/quizes/workloads immediately following Wellness Days. Some asked for Wellness Days to be half days with some work allowed, while some raised the idea of full Wellness weeks.
The data shows that the high school students were much more engaged with the survey than average school community members.
253 Algonquin students answered the survey — over 20% of the approx. 1,180 enrolled. The combined participation from the remainder of the NSBORO Community was just 330 people. That included parents, faculty, and staff of all ten NSBORO schools (with approx 4,120 students including Algonquin), plus community members without students in the school.
The lower participation by adults may reflect less interest/concern about the issue. But it could also be impacted by having been announced during a busy time of year. (The message went out the Tuesday afternoon, with a reminder the following week, and results were due ten days later.)
The Combined School Committee meeting is scheduled for 5:30 pm (tonight Wednesday, December 6th) at Algonquin. You can find the agenda here.
The school committees usually addresses the school calendar at this time of year to provide families with plenty of notice for next year. However, it also allows them flexibility to push the vote to a future month if members opt to collect more information/public comment before deciding.
Below is the full excerpt from Martineau’s email:
I want to provide parents and guardians with an analysis of feedback on Wellness Days from various stakeholders, including District faculty or staff members, parents, community members, and Algonquin Regional High School students. The data is summarized based on key categories. The data will be used to identify improvements to Wellness Days in the 2024-2025 School Calendar. I’m asking the school committees, at their next Combined Open Meeting, to approve next year’s school calendar without determining when the Wellness Days will take place.
District faculty, staff, parents, and community members (N=330)
Awareness and Support:
- Overwhelmingly, participants are aware of the purpose of Wellness Days, with the majority rating their awareness as 6 out of 6.
- Support for incorporating Wellness Days into the school calendar is high, with most respondents indicating a rating of 5 or 6.
Awareness of Dates:
- Participants generally express awareness of the dates of Wellness Days, with the majority rating their awareness as 6 out of 6.
Impact:
- The impact of Wellness Days varies across respondents. The majority rate the impact as positive (5 or 6), but there are instances of lower ratings, especially in the category of “Impact of Wellness Days.”
Demographic Insights:
- Parents of elementary and middle school-level children consistently rate their awareness, support, and the impact of Wellness Days higher than high school-level parents.
- Community members without children in the District generally show positive feedback but with slightly lower ratings compared to parents and faculty.
Concerns:
- Some respondents, particularly those with high school-level children, express lower satisfaction with the impact of Wellness Days, indicating potential areas for improvement.
Overall Findings:
- Wellness Days are widely supported and recognized, with positive feedback from the majority of participants.
- Consideration should be given to addressing concerns raised by high school-level parents to enhance the overall effectiveness of Wellness Days.
Summary of District faculty, staff, parents, and community member comments
The feedback provided on the school’s approach to Wellness Days and scheduling highlights a variety of perspectives. Concerns include the absence of recognition for Veterans Day, the impact of multiple half-days on student learning, and the perception that Wellness Days do not effectively reduce stress. Some parents and students argue that Wellness Days often result in an increased workload on surrounding days, diminishing the intended benefits. There are also calls for clearer communication, better alignment with other districts’ calendars, and a focus on mental health activities during Wellness Days.
Suggestions for improvement range from revising the timing of Wellness Days to avoiding religious holidays, spacing them more evenly throughout the year, and incorporating inclusive educational activities related to cultural awareness. Some propose alternatives, such as starting school earlier and providing longer breaks after Christmas and Thanksgiving. The need for coordination between teachers, coaches, and administrators to ensure a genuine break for students is emphasized. Additionally, concerns about tests and homework being concentrated on the days following Wellness Days are prominent.
In summary, while some appreciate the intent behind Wellness Days, the feedback suggests a need for reassessment and adjustments to better achieve the intended goals without causing additional stress for students and teachers.
ARHS Students (N=253)
The ARHS student expressed a range of perspectives, including both positive and negative feedback. Common themes included:
Better Distribute Wellness Days:
- Many students recommend spreading Wellness Days more evenly throughout the school year to avoid clustering them and ensure consistent breaks.
Limit Tests After Wellness Days:
- Students propose enforcing a rule to limit the number of tests or quizzes on the day following a Wellness Day to prevent an overwhelming workload.
Clarify Teacher Expectations:
- There is a call for clearer communication and understanding of the rules among teachers to ensure consistent implementation.
More Wellness Days:
- Some students advocate for an increase in the number of Wellness Days, suggesting they are helpful in reducing stress.
Half-Days for Wellness:
- The idea of having half-days for wellness, where some work is allowed, is mentioned as an alternative to full days off.
Avoid Important Dates:
- Students suggest avoiding scheduling Wellness Days on critical dates such as the end of terms or during holiday breaks.
Include Wellness Activities:
- Incorporating enjoyable activities during Wellness Days is highlighted as a positive aspect and is recommended to enhance the experience.
Wellness Weeks:
- Some students propose the concept of wellness weeks instead of individual days to provide a more sustained break.
Ensure Teacher Compliance:
- Students emphasize the importance of strict enforcement of Wellness Day rules to prevent teachers from assigning excessive work.
Summary of ARHS Student Comments
Students appreciated the break from homework on these days but shared concerns about the workload being shifted to the days before or after Wellness Days. Students suggested having more Wellness Days, while others proposed changes to the rules to ensure a true break from academic stress. Additionally, some students expressed a preference for days off or half-days instead of Wellness Days. Overall, they expressed a need for clearer guidelines and adjustments to make Wellness Days more effective and beneficial for students’ well-being.
