Health and Wellness - Rutgers Prep School

The mission of the Health and Wellness department is to provide RPS students, staff, and parents with health education, programming, and support to make informed decisions regarding their health. Our goal is to empower our community members to make sensible choices and create lifelong habits that promote and encourage well-being.

Group photo of the members of the Health and Wellness Department at Rutgers Prep

Meet the Health and Wellness Team

Sue Marshall Marotto

Titles: Director of Health and Wellness

Sherry Riggi

Titles: Co-Director of College Counseling: Junior Seminar & Senior Seminar, Assistant Director of Health and Wellness

Orli Bander

Titles: Upper School Student Counselor

Kyle Deaver

Titles: Upper School Student Counselor

Christy Owsik

Titles: Upper School Health Teacher, Head Coach - Middle School Girls Basketball, Assistant Coach - Middle School Cross Country

Jeff Shanes

Titles: Upper School Health Teacher

Wendy Winograd

Titles: Lower School Student Counselor

Leichena Young

Titles: Middle and Upper School Student Counselor, Coordinator of Community and Belonging

Health and Wellness Curriculum

The Health and Wellness courses are designed to teach students the information and skills they need to become knowledgeable in healthy living, maintain and improve their own health, prevent disease, and reduce health-related risk behaviors. Through this curriculum, students will develop self-awareness, communication skills, mental health outlets, and responsible decision-making skills. The students will demonstrate good character and behaviors that promote a safe, fit, and healthy self and community.

The Health and Wellness department recognizes the impact that diversity and inclusion have on mental and emotional well-being and collaborates with our faculty DEIB committee, AID (Advocates for Inclusion in Diversity), to encourage a supportive campus environment for all members of the community.

Lower School

Lower School Guidance Curriculum

The guidance curriculum, offered in Pre-K through 4th grade, is based on social and emotional learning, which focuses on the acquisition of skills and attitudes necessary to recognize and manage emotions, work effectively with others, and achieve positive goals. Included in our classes are themes of friendship, communication, problem solving, stress management, conflict resolution, and dealing effectively with difficult feelings. Children are introduced to the core Rutgers Prep values: Perseverance, Respect, Empathy, and Personal Integrity.

5th Grade Leadership Program

The Rutgers Preparatory School 5th Grade Leadership Program is a course offered to the oldest students in our Lower School. It is focused on developing leadership skills, understanding group dynamics by working on initiatives as a group, recognizing a variety of ways to exercise leadership, and understanding their own personal leadership styles. By working closely with others, they will deepen their capacity for empathy and understanding of others, a key component of effective leadership. Students will also be encouraged to conduct themselves in accordance with the Rutgers Prep core values: Perseverance, Respect, Empathy, and Personal Integrity.

Middle School

Health and Wellness 6

The Middle School Health Education program at Rutgers Prep is designed to encourage the development of physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Topics include the Wellness Triangle, mindfulness, the decision-making process, bullying, puberty, nutrition, substance abuse, and physical fitness. The Health and Wellness curriculum helps students to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Superhero in You - 6th Grade

There is a superhero in all of us. Everyone has something that makes them unique. In the 6th grade cycle class we will be utilizing social-emotional learning strategies to discuss topics of self-esteem, activism, altruism and community engagement. Examining personal strengths and weaknesses concurrently through the lens of superhero lore. Students will complete the class identifying their own superhero persona and work on their own comic about their abilities.

The Choice Adventure: Navigating Values and Decisions - 7th Grade

Explore the intricate world of decision-making and values in this core class designed to activate thinking skills surrounding how you navigate the world. We will explore seven core values: equity/equality, honesty, promise keeping, respect, responsibility, self-control and social justice. The class culminates with students presenting their take on a social issue and thoughts on how to address it.

Health and Wellness 7

The Middle School Health Education program at Rutgers Prep is designed to encourage the development of physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Topics include communication skills, infectious and non-infectious diseases, reproductive systems, sexual harassment, nutrition, and substance abuse and addiction. The Health and Wellness curriculum helps students to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Health and Wellness 8

The Middle School Health Education program at Rutgers Prep is designed to encourage the development of physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Topics include CPR and first aid, sexuality, STIs, sexual assault and consent, sexual decision-making, substance abuse, and eating disorders. The Health and Wellness curriculum helps students to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Leadership - 8th Grade

Leadership, an 8th grade core rotation class, focuses on identifying and developing personal leadership characteristics that foster positive growth and healthy decision-making skills. Each unit consists of a hands-on project that students create, implement, and present. These include researching and showcasing an admired leader, planning and implementing Middle School Mix-It-Up Lunch, and creating a personal vision board.

Upper School

Health & Wellness 9

Specific topics covered include mindfulness, mental health, drug/alcohol use and addiction, social media addiction, sexuality, sexual responsibility, sexually transmitted diseases, consent, and sexual assault. Health & Wellness 9 is graded based on the RPS letter grade scale.

Health & Wellness 10

The Health 10 curriculum is divided into two units of study - Drivers Education and CPR/First Aid certification. This course provides students an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary to become safe drivers, and to learn the life-saving techniques of CPR and First Aid. Health & Wellness 10 is graded on a pass/fail (P/F) grade scale.

Health & Wellness 11

Specific topics covered include mental health, self-awareness, mindfulness practices, drug and alcohol use, healthy use of social media, reproductive systems, contraceptive methods and sexually transmitted diseases, and relationships. Health & Wellness 11 is graded based on the RPS letter grade scale.

Peer Leadership [New Offering in 2024/2025]

The Peer Leadership program provides select juniors and seniors with the opportunity to work with freshmen as mentors, guiding the 9th grade students through their adjustment to Upper School. Working in pairs with freshmen advisory groups, Peer Leaders help build a sense of community by introducing 9th graders to Upper School student life activities and aiding in their academic and social transition to high school. Topics include navigating Upper School standards, getting involved in school activities, organizing school work for academic success, and building positive relationships in the RPS community. In addition to their meetings with freshmen, Peer Leaders meet regularly with the program advisors to develop effective leadership, communication, and group facilitation skills. Peer Leaders meet twice a month with freshman groups and twice a month with program advisors during the first half of a community time in fall semester, and additional check-in meetings continue during spring semester. There is an application and selection process required for a peer leadership position, and the position is a two year commitment for juniors. Peer leaders must be in good academic and community standing.

Grade 12: College Bound

This is a required series of meetings for second semester seniors. The focus will be on issues related to leaving home and entering college. Large-group meetings will be interspersed with smaller groups so students have the opportunity to raise issues that are important to them. Prep faculty, Prep alumni and outside speakers will be part of this series.

Student Counseling

The RPS counseling department provides students and families a place to turn when social and emotional problems interfere with everyday functioning, providing support to nurture the mind, body, and character.
We provide individual services to address social and emotional challenges in all three divisions. Students or families interested in mental health counseling may meet with a counselor by appointment or on a drop-in basis. Counselors, parents, and students meet together to determine the best approach to address a student’s problems.

In the Lower School, counselors focus on social and emotional learning in each class. In the Middle and Upper School, counselors teach classes focused on helping students develop plans to manage stress, improve their relationships, make better use of time, and cope with daily emotional challenges.

Direct Services

Psychological counseling
Assessments
Consultation
Crisis Counseling
Referrals
Social Skills Groups
Specific Population/Need focused Groups
Wellness Initiatives

Additional Services

New Student Meetings
Classroom Observations
Faculty Support

Peer Leadership

The Peer Leadership program provides select juniors and seniors with the opportunity to work with freshmen as mentors, guiding the 9th grade students through their adjustment to Upper School. Working in pairs with freshmen advisory groups, Peer Leaders help build a sense of community by introducing 9th graders to Upper School student life activities and aiding in their academic and social transition to high school. Topics include navigating Upper School standards, getting involved in school activities, organizing school work for academic success, and building positive relationships in the RPS community.

The Social Institute

The Social Institute (TSI) provides a social-emotional learning curriculum with the focus on using technology and social media in a positive, influential way. In the same way our faculty teach academic classes, our Upper and Middle School advisory program and counselors teach social-emotional skills through the #WinAtSocial curriculum. This gamified-technology based curriculum allows our students to identify ways to navigate technology while also learning about making connections with others.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. As humans, we experience all types of emotions and make all types of mistakes, but we can be kind to ourselves and others, recognize how we can respond rather than react, and manage stress in a healthy way. We are proud to have partnered with Mindful Schools to train faculty to teach mindfulness strategies and techniques in the classroom and throughout campus. In Health and Wellness courses and in the College Counseling Junior and Senior Seminar courses we teach mindfulness practices.

The Zen Den

The Upper School has a dedicated space called the "Zen Den” where students can “reset” - it is the only technology-free space on campus. Students can practice breathing exercises, relax with friends, play a game of UNO, color, or even spend time with one of our visiting therapy dogs.

The Latest from Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness Department Launches New Podcast Series

Darryl Bellamy Jr. Encourages RPS Students to Fear (Less)

RPS Has Gone to the Dogs (In the Best Way Possible)

Josh Robinson Demonstrates Power of Music to Lower and Middle School Students

Social Media Expert Max Stossel Presents to RPS Parents and Students

Newly-Learned Life-Saving Skills Put to Use in 8th Grade CPR Competition

Health and Wellness Corner

Each month members of the Health and Wellness department write informative and helpful articles on topics related to the emotional and physical well-being of school-aged children.

The Importance of Independent Play

Research suggests that the decline in opportunities to play, roam, and engage in other activities independently of adults is a primary cause of the rise in mental health issues for children and teens.

Supporting Healthy Autonomy

As parents, what I think we often forget is how it felt to be a teenager looking for ways to establish independence and explore our own individuality. As the world continues to become more complicated, we need to understand that adolescents today are faced with different issues than 20 or 30 years ago.

Cultivating Resilient Kids

Encountering setbacks and challenges is a fundamental aspect of growing up, and it's imperative to teach our children how to rebound from them. Developing resilience is a crucial life skill that equips children with the ability to handle challenging situations.