Wellness

This introductory fitness course offers students a foundational understanding of key components of health-related and skill-related fitness. Students will learn how to assess and improve these areas for overall health and well-being. The course will also emphasize the importance of establishing a fitness routine. Students can expect engaging activities, discussions, and opportunities to set personal fitness goals. Students will have fitness class 2 days/week.

Freshmen Wellness allows students a dedicated study time as well as an opportunity to connect with the people, resources, and opportunities at DSHA which are here to help each student make the most of her freshmen year (and beyond). This program allows students time to focus on academics through a structured study hall but also provides a minimum monthly scheduled check-in with school counselors, campus ministers, teachers, administrators, and Applied Wellness staff. Through these monthly check-ins, we strive to allow students to engage in thoughtful discussions, work together on activities, build relationships, and learn more about themselves and DSHA. Freshmen Wellness meets two days/week opposite the fitness hour.

Grade: 9
Semesters: 2

This course builds upon the foundational knowledge gained in Freshmen Fitness. Through hands-on activities, students will enhance their understanding of various fitness components while developing practical skills for improving performance and overall health. The course aims to foster a comprehensive approach to fitness that prepares students for lifelong wellness and active living. Students will have fitness class two days/week.

Applied Wellness staff will meet with sophomores at various times throughout the year during their fitness hour to slowly onboard them into the upperclasswoman Applied Wellness program that they begin as juniors. Students will engage in various wellness experiences, learn about the structure and requirements of the program, and will establish an Applied Wellness account. This process is intentional so that sophomores begin to understand how they will use their Applied Wellness hour during their junior and senior years. By the end of sophomore year, students will have the information they need to navigate the program as juniors and seniors.

Sophomore Wellness: As students begin sophomore year, they transition to the next level of practicing their use of autonomy and personal accountability. We foster this growth by continuing to offer a structured fitness class paired with a Sophomore Wellness hour. Building upon Freshman Wellness, sophomores can use this time to study, meet with a teacher or interventionist, use ALPHA, visit Campus Ministry, see a counselor, or make up a test. They can access these resources they learned about previously in Freshman Wellness. Students will have Sophomore Wellness twice a week, on their non-fitness class days. 

Grade: 10
Semesters: 2

DSHA is committed to a progressive, innovative, and integrated approach to whole-person education. The DSHA experience incorporates academic excellence and college preparation with a commitment to faith formation and personal wellness. The Applied Wellness program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to manage their physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness within the school day. In this program, students practice self-advocacy and personal accountability through engagement in diverse wellness experiences. Applied Wellness is experiential, student-focused, and not bound to a curriculum. This program is grounded in the understanding that each student has different needs and will take different paths, so it is not connected to a traditional academic standard of achievement.  Students may be awarded an A or a Pass which connects to their in-person engagement. Students must be present in school to engage in the program, which is a graduation requirement.  

Grades: 11 and 12
Semesters: 2