Upperclassmen filed into the Study Hall by 8:30 AM on Tuesday, October 10th. Instead of taking the PSATs–virtually for the first time–they took seats at the year’s first official wellness seminar. It consisted of two presentations, two handouts, and a sweet treat.
JBWS gave the first presentation of the day. JBWS Representative Kayla explained that its name changed from the Jersey Battered Women’s Service to JBWS for two reasons: first, “battered” only suggests physical abuse. Secondly, the organization’s resources are open to people of all genders. JBWS dedicates itself to “safety, support, and solutions for abuse,” and students were debriefed on all three legs of the slogan. JBWS owns a staffed Emergency Safe House (or Arbour House) in an undisclosed location to keep those in abusive situations safe. They have a confidential 24/7 helpline that does not appear on phone bills because they are a nonprofit organization. Support groups and professionals are also available for those who need them, and educating students is a large part of their solutions.
About 20 minutes were devoted to watching a video– somewhere between Black Mirror and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind— detailing a woman’s fictional experience with an abuser. Extremely well-produced, the short film covers emotional abuse (extreme jealousy, isolation, blame), technological abuse (monitoring social media interactions, demanding passwords), gaslighting, and more. Spoiler alert: she leaves him.
Students had 10 minutes between presentations to collect two handouts from the school and grab food. The administration kindly provided crunchy granola bars, a fruit platter, and boxes on boxes of Glaze Donuts that people grazed on for the remainder of the day.
Upon reassuming their seats, the second and final presentation of the day started. Courtesy of the Florham Park Police Department, Officers Langereis and Carney taught the school about digital safety. Three of the most common concerns with social media are identity theft, sexual predation, and cyberbullying. Students were reminded to be wary of what they post, who they follow, and with whom they interact. The officers emphasized phone addiction and being aware of screen time, an indicator of phone addiction.
Everyone was dismissed around noon. Aside from a “Free Doodle Space…” on the sheets, there was no coloring! However, of course, the presenters were well-informed and engaging. The wellness seminar was a success.
