Red Wing Rest Stops: New Wellness Initiative Fosters Joy and Curiosity

Director of Wellness Programming Megan McCarthy designed the event with help from the student life team. “Our goal was really to just have kids do something they’re interested in and be with people in the community they may not always be with,” McCarthy says. “There’s a ton of research around allowing kids to play and the importance of that—time to play without phones, without expectations.” 

In preparation, McCarthy invited members of the professional community to share their hobbies and passions with students by leading activities of their choice. “I put out the call for anybody to sign up to run anything they wanted, and I was shocked by how many people responded with really cool ideas, like Mahjong, pickleball, knitting, trivia—you name it,” McCarthy says. The community also stepped in to help gather materials ahead of time, such as lawn games and coloring books. 

Once the programming was set, students ranked their top choices for activities. McCarthy, Upper School Assistant Dean of Students Susanna Donahue P’03, ’06, and Middle School Dean of Students Sarah Heffrin worked to honor students’ preferences while also ensuring the groups for each activity had a mix of students from different grades. The timing of the event was also intentional—with the end of the school year approaching, Red Wing Rest Stops was an opportunity for rejuvenation before the rush of final assignments and exams. 

 

Some activities offered students a chance for friendly competition. Donahue and Assistant Athletic Director Keith McLean paired Upper School students with Middle School students for a doubles ping-pong tournament. “It was great to see the older kids helping the younger kids,” Donahue says. A Grade 6/Grade 12 duo—Jack Lyons ’32 and Alex Erdos ’26—won the championship. 

Activities took place all over campus, including outdoors. Interim Head of Upper School Will Mills led a walk to Camp Nonesuch, and Dean of Academics and Institutional Research Chris Dalton took students bird-watching. Visual arts faculty member Tim Clark P’29, science faculty member Michael Schlenker P’26, and Director of Technology and Innovation John Adams took students fishing on the shores of Nonesuch Pond. Outdoor spaces were also used for playing spikeball and other lawn games, squash, pickleball, and kickball.

“One of my favorite moments was going into the ‘learn to knit’ group,” McCarthy says. “I was not really sure what to expect from the students, but those kids couldn’t have been more proud of themselves—kids you would never expect to be knitting at school.” 

Later in the day, McCarthy saw a student from the group knitting in the hallway between classes who said, “I’m reaching flow state!” Heffrin, who co-led “learn to needlepoint,” also reported that some of the students in her group came back for additional supplies after finishing their initial projects because they wanted to do more. “I just love the idea of kids learning a hobby,” McCarthy comments.

“Wellness education and preventative programming are always a priority here at Rivers. However, there is also real evidence-based value in just letting kids be kids. Learning new skills, playing, and engaging in hobbies are all important parts of student wellness, too, and we have to provide opportunities for that,” McCarthy says.

“I thought it was a great event,” Donahue adds. “I can’t wait to do it again.”