A Vision into Reality
I've been working with Jackie of Reform Wellness for nearly nine months and the partnership she has provided is nothing short of a miracle.
As someone who has worked in the field of education for over 20 years, I have had the pleasure of working within many different communities and have served students and families alongside many wonderful professionals. Jackie is among the most intuitive, creative, and dynamic professional I have worked with throughout my career.
Shortly after my appointment at Our Lady of Mercy Academy, it was clear that the young women of this fine academic institution were facing significant struggles that had not been previously or intentionally addressed. Much like many young women today, the students at OLMA are experiencing increased levels of anxiety and stress related to the many demands on their lives as students and adolescents. Given the degree of need, I knew as principal it was my responsibility to act and provide support to our students, families, and employees.
After visiting other schools, conducting research, and learning more about the specific needs of my community, I reached out to Jackie to learn how she could partner with me in creating The Mercy Wellness Program. Jackie provided a level of professional expertise and support throughout the various aspects of wellness that have been a natural fit for this program development. Each meeting consisted of brainstorming, problem solving, and planning that has led to a program and curriculum that will benefit our entire student body. After observing the culture of the building, meeting with faculty and staff, sitting in on classes and spending time at OLMA, Jackie was able to identify the overall wellness gaps from a bird’s eye view and implemented “Mercy specific” wellness pillars to fill them in, meeting the physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and academic needs of our students. Reform’s partnership has made this wellness program come to fruition.
Reform Wellness has helped developed a wellness curriculum to implement with our students, meets with our faculty and staff for one-on-one consulting, is available to our students for private wellness consulting, pushes into classrooms for wellness education, conducts parent educational sessions, consults with our cafeteria to provide the highest quality food--and more!
What has struck me the most is the amount of value that Reform provides in every session. I consistently walk away from each of our meetings feeling energized, focused, and confident about the next steps of our project. Jackie is positive, proactive, and a true listener. She hones in on the essence of ideas, and in my case, a vision that needed expertise and devotion to complete.
Moving forward, I am thrilled to have Jackie and Reform Wellness on board as we move into this inaugural year of The Mercy Program which will provide our students and faculty the opportunity to flourish in their health; mind, body and soul together. Providing this opportunity for our community is a true gift and a positive step towards overall wellness. Thank you, Reform Wellness! Looking forward to the future!
—Sandra Betters, Principal
Our Lady of Mercy Academy, New York