St. Margaret’s grade 6 students in the Middle School's health and well-being enrichment class wrapped up their first rotation with a little fun—by partaking in a goose chase scavenger hunt across campus to find examples of health and wellness. 

The class is divided into three cohorts that rotate through three classes: personal health, taught by Leslie Pacheco-Manning; spiritual health, taught by Father Earl Gibson; and digital health, taught by Darla Magana. For the goose chase scavenger hunt, students took a list of missions, each worth a set number of points, and teams of students tried to compile the most points before the end of their block. 

“The missions are a review of topics that have been discussed in the different classes, and practical application of the knowledge,” Mrs. Pacheco-Manning said. 

The missions included taking a photo in front of one of St. Margaret’s 23 AED devices across campus, practicing a silent meditation, listing things you would never tell an online stranger, picking up litter on campus, or expressing gratitude for something that happened during the week. 

There was also a bonus if students could get professional community members to participate. Teachers were seen doing push-ups with students, and racing students alongside Chalmers Field even while wearing a suit and tie. 

“There is a lot of joy in learning with this lesson as students from the different cohorts work together to teach one another about what they have learned,” Mrs. Pacheco-Manning said. 

Grade 6 health and wellness focuses on the skills needed to help young adolescents succeed in school and life. The course addresses multiple aspects of a student’s social, emotional and school success through themes of empathy and communication, emotion management, decision making, goal setting and health and nutrition.