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Wellness Banner 4
Academics & Arts
Wellness
America’s Healthiest School Awardee
Gilmour was one of only 406 schools nationwide to be named one of "America’s Healthiest Schools" by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. We were recognized for excellence in our health programming, ranging from Lower School wellness classes to advisory programming to student wellness programming and Upper School health courses.
Heart, Mind and Body: Gilmour Wellness Initiative
Wellness is a journey and we aspire for individuals within the Gilmour community to reach their fullest potential to be healthy and thrive. Gilmour honors the unique journey of each person and is committed to creating an environment for raising awareness and creating dialogue around social-emotional, physical, spiritual, and academic well-being. We understand that our community and environments influence individual health, and as such, the Academy has embraced an ecological approach in considering and addressing wellness that are community-based as well as individually focused. We seek not only to transform individual choices and behaviors, but also to transform our culture and environment so that it may empower individuals to make healthier decisions and support them in their pursuit of a balanced lifestyle.
As members of the Holy Cross community, we are dedicated to the education of the whole child and recognize the importance of cultivating healthy habits at an early age in order to lay the foundation for a lifetime of holistic wellness. Gilmour’s Wellness Initiative is rooted in the belief that learning emerges best in the context of supportive, trusting relationships that make learning challenging, engaging and meaningful, and as such, the initiative is designed to engage not only our students and their families, but also our faculty and staff, as well as the larger community.
Dimensions of Wellness
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Academic
Our wellness initiative aims to build healthy academic habits that support students' growth mindset, by utilizing S.M.A.R.T goals, implementing strategies that help them succeed in the classroom and beyond, and developing academic honesty and integrity. -
Physical
The human body was designed to move, and physical wellness means caring for the human body in such a way that it is in functional condition for performance in everyday life. Gilmour’s physical wellness initiatives aim to improve quality of life through healthy decision making, particularly in how we treat and nourish our bodies through nutrition, fitness, and healthy decision making. -
Social Emotional
Social and emotional learning (SEL) enhances students’ capacity to integrate skills, attitudes, and behaviors to deal effectively and ethically with daily tasks and challenges. -
Spiritual
As a Holy Cross School, Gilmour strives to educate the minds and hearts of its students and to be educators in the faith by walking with students in their journey as they strive to become all that God calls them to be.
Wellness Programming
Katie Gallagher is Gilmour Academy's Wellness Coordinator and as such is in charge of Implementing and organizing wellness programming for both students and employees, improving the wellness culture and supporting the wellness dimensions for the Gilmour Community.
Read about our programming below and about who to contact when you need support for your child.
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Curriculum Overview
Lower School (Grades Kindergarten - 6)Heart and Mind wellness lessons occur during the 15-minute wellness block each morning. Each day there is a focus including academic, physical, financial, social emotional and spiritual wellness. Lessons are created by a team of teachers utilizing professional resources to provide grade-level appropriate lessons. Each week ends with Community Block which provides students with additional opportunities for physical, social emotional, and spiritual learning or student spotlights and special programming.Middle and Upper Schools (Grades 7-12)Mind, Heart, Body Wellness at the Middle and Upper Schools provides students with programming during community block that enhances their overall well-being. Students are provided opportunities to get extra academic support, engage in physical activity or work on homework. These opportunities during Community Block have improved the well-being of students by decreasing stress and improving sleep at home. Advisory is a time to a take a deeper dive into specific topics to enhance the wellness of each student. Examples of special programming for students involve healthy relationships, prevention education or nutrition opportunities. Olweus Bullying Prevention workshops, social emotional learning and LifeAct (mental health) are implemented throughout the school year to promote healthy behaviors and academic achievement. The wellness team works together offering students preventative programming to enhance their overall well-being, and each year focuses on important topics addressing the needs of the students. -
Mental Performance Coaching and Nutrition Training
Through the school’s Wellness Initiative, Gilmour students are provided access to resources normally found only at the college level.The school has partnered with the Center for Peak Performance to provide mental performance coaching for its students. Dr. Sam Maniar, a sports psychologist with more than 20 years of experience and the founder of the Center for Peak Performance, has worked with clients at the professional, college, high school and club level including the Cleveland Browns, the Indianapolis Colts, the Chicago Cubs, The Ohio State University, the University of Akron, Washington State University, Alliance of American Football, SPIRE Institute/Academy and Ohio Premier Soccer Club. He and staff member, Zac Bruback, a doctoral candidate, lead Gilmour’s teams and their coaches through group sessions. All coaches are provided the opportunity to sign their team up for the sessions, which can focus on any number of performance topics, including concentration and focus, stress management, self-talk, goal setting, motivation, mindfulness, visualization, etc. Several teams took advantage of the coaching sessions this year, including the nationals-qualifying girls prep hockey team, the state champion varsity boys hockey team and the state runner-up boys basketball team. The mental performance coaching builds cohesion within a team and provides students with a competitive advantage that helps not only on the court/field/ice/stage, but also in the classroom.The Wellness Initiative also provides students with nutrition training by helping them plan their meals to properly fuel their bodies in and out of season. The Wellness Coordinator introduced activity plates, each designed with a specific purpose based on activity level - low, moderate or vigorous. Students are trained to select the appropriate activity plate, based on whether they are out of season, it’s a practice day or it’s a game day. The plates are color-coded so the students can quickly and easily let the lunch staff know which plate they need and the food served will contain the appropriate serving size and the correct balance of nutrients based on the student-athlete’s needs that day. The goal of the activity plates initiative is to help the students understand the role of fruits and vegetables, proteins and whole grains in performing different functions for their bodies and how they can utilize them based on what they are doing that day.
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School Health Services
Maureen Amaddio, RNPatricia DeChellis, RNRegistered nurses committed to providing quality health services to promote health and academic success for all students. Student-centered nursing care includes planning and providing intervention and medical care for illness, injuries and other urgent situations throughout the school day. The team conducts health assessments and educates the community about medical conditions and emergency situations. The nurses are the liaisons between home, school and community for students to achieve their highest level. -
School Counseling and Learning Enhancement
Meg Fowler, Director of Student Support ServicesStudent Support Services provides students and their families academic, social-emotional, and behavioral support through individual, small group or class-wide sessions throughout the year. If an issue arises which requires more in-depth counseling than our counseling department is able to provide within the confines of a school day, we assist the student and their family in helping find appropriate community resources. -
Spiritual Well-Being
Whitney Daly, Director of Mission IntegrationOur Holy Cross mission is the foundation from which we educate the mind and empower the heart of every Gilmour student "to develop the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society." -
Nutrition
AVI Dietician Kristen Totino conducts taste-testing at the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, providing students with opportunities to try new healthy food options. The Lower School students have small-group lessons related to the food group they are testing and learn about the benefits of different food groups. The Middle & Upper School students have the opportunity to try these new food snacks and learn about the benefits that inspired the food tasting. Examples of the food tastings thus far have been apple chips, black bean brownies and chocolate banana oat bars. Each taste-testing includes a recipe card and informational sheet regarding the benefits of the food. -
Intramurals
Katie Gallagher, Wellness CoordinatorThe purpose of Gilmour’s intramural program, coordinated by Katie Gallagher, is to offer students an opportunity to participate in friendly competition and physical activity during community block. The intramural program provides students with a communal commitment to individual wellness, reduced stress and a positive experience through activities outside the classroom. A variety of activities are offered to fit the needs and wants of students at Gilmour Academy. Intramurals promote lifelong fitness, healthy competition and an opportunity for students to participate in a variety of activities with their peers. -
Wellness Club
Katie Gallagher, Wellness CoordinatorThe wellness club, moderated by Katie Gallagher, offers a variety of wellness programs to enhance a student’s well-being throughout the day. A calm environment provides them with a mental break while incorporating physical, social and emotional wellness. The club embraces community-wide events that build a positive wellness culture. This club provides a unique experience for students during Community Block. -
Strength and Conditioning
The program delivers physical fitness and training programs for Gilmour students/athletes to improve their flexibility, speed, agility and strength through individual and group sessions. Students receive expert instruction in the use of weight machines and conditioning equipment as well as tailored conditioning workouts and training programs based on the needs of the athletic teams or individual students/athletes.The overall mission of this program is to build strength and flexibility in order to aid in injury prevention and the healthy growth of the student-athlete through fundamental movement and careful attention to technique and form. The program provides customized workouts based on an individual student-athlete’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses. By using a range of simplistic to complex movements through a variety of training methods, student-athletes get a fresh approach for developing their physical performance.A National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) oversees the program and its facilities. The CSCS is available weekdays during the school year and throughout the summer months and is available to create custom workouts not only for the student-athletes, but for any employee of Gilmour Academy.Workouts are conducted in the Gilmour Academy weight room located in the Ice Center, as well as throughout the outdoors of the 144-acre campus. Some of the more traditional equipment that can be incorporated into the workouts includes treadmills; ellipticals; endurance bikes; power racks; platforms; plyometric boxes; hammer strength equipment; medicine, BOSU and stability balls; balance discs; rubber bands; dumbbells and Universal weight machines. Some of the unorthodox training equipment includes battle ropes, tires, sledge hammers, heavy bags and a Muay Thai bag.Because the program is tailored to specific individuals, athletes from all sports have the best possible opportunity to increase their performance as it applies to their specific sport.
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Sports Medicine
Kara Santana, University Hospitals Sports Medicine Institute Athletic TrainerProvides students with access to the latest techniques for injury recovery and performance enhancement techniques. Sports Medicine treatment includes electrostimulation, ultrasound, hydrotherapy and ice and compression units. Faculty trainers hold advanced degrees and certifications in sports medicine.
Visit our Sport Medicine page.
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Drug and Alcohol Awareness
David Pfundstein, Dean of Student Life and LeadershipAs part of its commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of our students, Gilmour runs a drug-testing program. The primary purpose for this initiative is to give students another reason to say “no” to the pressures of using illegal drugs and to help them remain substance-free. Families can see the Parent/Student Handbook for details.
Our Vision
To foster a diverse culture of holistic well-being which empowers each person in the Gilmour community to engage in positive, sustainable choices that nurture the mind, heart, and body.
Pope Francis, 2016
Health is one of the most valuable gifts desired by all.
