Wellness Programming
Student Resources and Support
Wellness matters for our whole community. Our deliberate focus on student wellness drives our ability to support Winsor’s mission to prepare young women to pursue their aspirations and contribute to the world.
Our Wellness Department is made up of four areas:
Academic support is available to any student looking to sharpen their learning skills. Whether that means better test preparation, study skills, or self advocacy, students can seek academic support at any time throughout the school year and their time at Winsor. The goal of academic support is to build confidence in student agency and learning. Academic support includes peer tutoring, which is available to any student who needs extra opportunities for review or learning. This is a leadership opportunity for Upper School students to match with their peers and support them in their academic achievement.
CONTACT
Ellen Crowley (she/her)
Teaching & Learning Specialist
ecrowley@winsor.edu
Winsor offers confidential counseling services for students who are in need of support as they build skills and develop strategies to help them reach their full academic, social, and emotional potential. Winsor has two counselors available to meet with students and consult with advisors, teachers, and parents through advocacy, education, and collaboration. The counseling team leads with curiosity and a culturally inclusive lens to create safe spaces for all Winsor community members. Winsor counselors are available for appointments and drop-in support, and can help with referrals to outside clinicians.
CONTACT
Maia Monteagudo ’06, MA, LMHC (she/her)
Counselor
mmonteagudo@winsor.edu
Emily Monteiro, MSW, LCSW (she/her)
Counselor
emonteiro@winsor.edu
The school nurse collaborates with parents and medical professionals to help students stay healthy at school. Health services manages the health and medical needs of students: staying up to date on vaccines, following daily medications, triaging illness/injury, monitoring asthma and allergy plans, and maintaining student medical records.
CONTACT
Sudeshna Banerji-Cook, BS, BSN, RN (she/her)
Director of Health Services
School Nurse
nurse@winsor.edu
Winsor has a longstanding tradition of supporting students’ physical, social, and emotional growth. In fact, Winsor’s first students…[Sarah often shares historic information about the first Winsor students exercising in the Public Gardens]. Today, Winsor students are engaged in a comprehensive wellness curriculum from Classes I through VII. The courses are designed using state and national health education standards and aim to build skills in accessing reliable information, analyzing influences, advocacy, decision-making, and communication. To further support our students, the Wellness Department offers events and workshops, supports a team of peer educators, and advises wellness-related student-led clubs.
Peer Support
The Peer Support Program provides Class VII and VIII students the opportunity to support the school community by acting as go-to resources for student support. Peer supporters act as resource and referral leaders, connecting their peers to reliable information and to others in the community. Peer supporters focus on three main objectives each year: community building, wellness education, and events.
CONTACT
Evan Joy McLaurin’12
“Miss Joy”
(she/her)
Wellness Teacher
ejmclaurin@winsor.edu
Amanda Santos Valenzuela (she/her)
Wellness Department Head
asantosvalenzuela@winsor.edu
Senior Circles
The Senior Circles program is a way for Class VIII students to connect with their classmates during four Tuesday evenings in May. The series provides dinner and workshops that focus on transitioning to life after Winsor. Topics have included self-defense, mental health at college, financial planning, self defense, sexual health, and preparing dorm room meals.
Wellness Week
Each spring semester, students in Winsor’s wellness-related clubs plan a full week of activities to focus our attention on issues of wellness and equity. The week has included speakers on topics like stress and the brain, cultural beauty standards, and bias against women in science and athletics. Students lead workshops, socialize, and reflect on taking care of themselves and their community.
The Wellness Room
Students are invited to the Wellness Room in the Wellness Center for workshops, to meet with members of the wellness team, or to take a break to regulate themselves throughout the day. The space is filled with tips and tools to help students feel calm, connected, and ready for their day.