CASS 2024 PEPY Recap
Fun
PEPY’s experiential approach to teaching wellness is vital because it makes learning fun, relatable, and memorable.
PEPY’s experiential approach to teaching wellness is vital because it makes learning fun, relatable, and memorable. By actively engaging Students, Educators and even System Leaders!, it fosters deeper connections, reinforces positive habits, and empowers individuals to embrace wellness as a lifelong skill, ensuring lasting impact beyond the classroom.
Back into the PEPY Time Machine we go!
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During our time with these eager students, three key takeaways from the lego tower activity emerged:
One Brick at a Time: The students learned the importance of building wellness step by step, as they found constructing their mini towers brick by brick to be much more manageable than tackling the entire structure at once. This approach mirrored the PEPY model of focusing on one wellness aspect at a time, ensuring each dot is given due attention for a balanced life.
Strength in Unity: The activity reinforced the value of collaboration. As students worked together to balance their combined towers, they experienced first-hand how teamwork not only simplifies but also enhances the journey toward wellness. This resonated with the PEPY principle that wellness is not a solitary pursuit but one that is fortified through community support.
Dynamic Balance: The most challenging aspect of the lego activity was maintaining balance when combining the individual towers representing the spiritual, social, and physical dots. The exercise illustrated the ongoing effort required to keep the diverse aspects of wellness in harmony, echoing the PEPY ethos of a dynamically balanced life.
The Key Learning Observation centered around resilience. The spontaneous collapse of the towers wasn't seen as a setback but as an opportunity to rebuild, faster and stronger with the support of peers. This mirrored the resilience training PEPY instills, underscoring that life's path isn't always straight and that embracing grit and tenacity is essential in developing the resilience to face life's unpredictable challenges.
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Stomps!
And oh, the creativity that ensues! From jumping on the bubble wrap to utilizing rolling chairs, the methods are as diverse as they are delightful. It's a whirlwind of laughter, collaboration, and sheer exhilaration—a testament to the power of simple pleasures and shared experiences. And as the sounds of popping bubbles give way to cheers of triumph, one thing becomes abundantly clear: with bubble wrap as our guide, the possibilities for fun and learning are truly endless.
Teamwork.
Amidst the chaos, teamwork shines as students collaborate to transform the scattered remnants of their popped sheets of bubble wrap into a single unified makeshift basketball bound together with masking tape (one per team).
But the excitement doesn't stop there. With recycling bins or trash cans as hoops, and with their bubble wrap basketballs in hand, teams embark on a shooting challenge, aiming to make ten successful baskets before time runs out.
Throughout the exhilarating race, students embody essential values. They discover the joy of teamwork, the thrill of movement, and the power of grit as they persevere through the challenge, refusing to give up despite all the obstacles.
Reflection and Stamps!
After the race concludes, we gather to reflect on the experience, acknowledging the myriad lessons learned. Each participant receives stamps on their Pocket PEPY, celebrating their microbursts of joy, teamwork, movement, grit, and kindness. It's a tangible reminder of their achievements and the positive impact they've made, both individually and collectively.