Health & Wellness

The Mindful Awareness Practice Program (MAPP) brings research-based stress management skills training and mindful awareness practices to the student body and larger school community.  

Although stress and stress management have been topics covered in the school counseling curriculum for years, it was not until 2017 that mindfulness was introduced to the junior year group counseling class.  Soon, students started to express their enthusiasm for the practices and experience their benefits including increased calm and relaxation, lowered stress, better sleep, improved focus and greater emotional and behavioral control.  

These significant benefits, coupled with the increased need to support the mental health and well-being of the whole community, including full student body, parents/caregivers, faculty and staff, led to the launch of the Mindful Awareness Practice Program in January 2021.  The MAPP continues to be creatively developed in collaboration with academic departments, athletics, campus ministry, student organizations and the Mother’s and Father’s clubs.    

Benefits

The benefits of mindful practices are well-documented and include improved health and well-being, increased resilience, enhanced compassion for self and others, reduced anxiety and depression and improved sleep, focus, concentration, problem-solving, and creativity.

Schedule

A variety of drop-in MAPP sessions are offered to students, faculty and staff before, during and after the school day.  Students attend on a voluntary, drop-in basis during a free period, study hall, lunch, mentoring period and/or consultation.  The schedule can be accessed through a QR code on posted flyers, in the third floor Counseling Center or the MAPP Schoology page.  Also, on the MAPP Schoology page, is an organized library of related resources, materials and activities including apps, scripts and links for use on one’s own. 

Sessions

The sessions are held in classrooms, the counseling center, chapel, college room, conference rooms and gym, and offer a variety of practices and activities, including:

• Breath Work                             Yoga
• Mindful Meditation                   Guided Nature Visualizations
• Body Scanning                         Centering Prayer
• Loving Kindness Meditation     Therapeutic Art
• Noting Practice                         Grounding with the Senses 
   

"I did a meditation in my mentor group with Ms. Porter. My mentor, Ms. Faustini thought it would be helpful to have a meditation in the middle of the day to help us relax and be more ready for the day, and I could definitely tell the effect that it had. It was only a 10-minute meditation, but it relaxed everyone, and helped me focus more for my test the next period. It ended up being very helpful for the rest of the day, and really showed how beneficial meditation can be.” - member of the Class of 2024

"One of the best shooters on our team was having a bad shooting day missing eight of his ten free throws. So for the next ten I told him to do the breathing routine we learned in class and he went eight for ten this time. He was shocked and you can see it on his face. I have been doing it ever since and my free shooting definitely feels more smoother. Just wanted to say thanks for showing us that little technique and helping me improve my game." - member of the Class of 2025

Fordham Prep’s School Counseling Team guides students through an evidence-based suicide prevention program called Lifelines. Students learn about the warning signs and risk factors for suicidality and the intervention steps needed to help someone in need.

Lifelines Curriculum

In sophomore year, our School Counselors use the program More Than Sad: Teen Depression in group counseling class. This is an evidenced-based, multi-lesson program developed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

More Than Sad Curriculum

Fordham Prep takes part in the Archdiocese of New York Drug Abuse Prevention Program (ADAPP). A clinician spends one day at Fordham Prep each week working in support of the ADAPP program and our students.  The clinician specializes in substance abuse prevention programming, support services, crisis intervention, individual counseling and more. 

New York Archdiocese ADAPP Program

The School Counseling and clinical teams work together to give a suicide screening to every student, every year.  In addition, screenings for depression, anxiety and substance use are given when indicated.  Parents/caregivers are given full and on-going support should a referral to and treatment with an outside professional be necessary.  

Fordham Prep requires each student to complete four years of physical education. Classes in physical education are structured to enhance student awareness of the benefits of life long physical fitness. The Prep’s program emphasizes the relationship of physical activity to the physical, mental, social and emotional needs of its students. 

Students learn a variety of individual and team sports. Emphasis is placed on motor skill development as well a knowledge of the rules and strategies involved in each sport. Fundamentals of each sport are stressed in the lower grades. The Prep provides excellent facilities for its students, including two gyms, an athletic field located directly behind the school and use of Fordham University’s tennis courts, indoor pool, and turf fields. 

The Physical Education and Health curriculum at Fordham Prep is covered during freshman year with the Counseling Department supplementing the curriculum relating to personal health. Health courses are designed to meet physical, emotional and social needs with the understanding that essential attitudes and beliefs are being developed during this adolescent period. 

Ignatian spirituality is at the core of all that we do. For faculty and staff,/fs/pages/367 this means making space to explore one’s relationship with God. Our Campus Ministers create these sacred spaces in our Chapel, in our classrooms, and beyond.

• Mass - Mass is offered on a regular basis in the Chapel of St. Ignatius 

• Centering Prayer - Centering Prayer is a modernized prayer method based on the intuitive prayer rooted in Lectio Divina. It is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience the Divine's immanent presence with us (via The Ignatian Journey)

• First Friday Adoration - “Adoration is an opportunity to be present in prayer with God in a special way as Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. Many students over the years have commented on how this has been a special moment of prayer for them. During Adoration the Eucharist is placed in a special container called a monstrance. The monstrance is placed on the altar and we are invited to spend some time in prayer with God. We believe that both individually and as a community, such prayer can be a moment of grace, that is, God's gift of God's self to us.” - Mike Kravatz P'23, Campus Minister

Visit our Ignatian Ministries page to learn more about Campus Ministry and programs offered to both students and adults.

Our School Psychologist is a licensed clinician who provides and oversees clinical services to students, families and school personnel.  In addition, the School Psychologist works closely with the counseling department, faculty and outside professionals to provide coordinated and effective care and support for students.  Also, the School Psychologist plans educational and preventative programs for students, parents and faculty/staff.

Our Social Worker is a licensed mental health professional who assists in the school’s efforts to ensure that students are socially and emotionally cared for and supported.  Individual counseling and crisis intervention are provided to students experiencing personal, social, emotional and/or mental health challenges.  The School Social Worker assists families with referrals to outside providers as needed, and works closely with the School Counseling team.  

Our students deserve our best. Prioritizing faculty and staff wellness helps ensure that the teacher in the room is healthy, fit, and fully present. Each week, two members of the faculty offer morning classes within their specializations. Teachers are invited to take part in yoga sessions, or strength and fitness classes. The program is well-attended, and works to satisfy our commitment to caring for the whole person.

"Bringing yoga to the faculty and staff through retreats, faculty meetings and Wednesday mornings has brought the health and wellness initiative to life. With yoga, the practice of connecting the breath to movement, it helps strengthen the ability to become more mindful as we move about our busy days. I am grateful to be able to practice yoga each week with faculty and staff in hopes of alleviating the tension and stress we carry in our bodies". - member of the School Counseling Department

The Student Wellness Advisory Team (SWAT) is a group faculty, staff, administrators and students who are committed to addressing the health and wellness needs of the community and collaborating on programs, events, projects and more.

SWAT Mission Statement

The Student Wellness Advisory Team serves as a student-led organization founded to further an increasingly excellent Prep atmosphere, offer opportunities to become better educated about mental health, raise awareness about the importance of wellness, and expand support for students and teachers. For the purpose of improving wellness at the school, the Student Wellness Advisory Team will work independently as well as alongside school administration, counselors, and other student-run organizations, when necessary, to orchestrate events, enact initiatives, and speak to the community. Of the members, it is expected that they will serve as approachable students in the Prep community who can talk to their peers and represent the voice and needs of the student body. We seek these goals with the intent of better preparing students to achieve the characteristics outlined in the Grad at Grad document and the values of Cura Personalis.