Health and Wellness

Upper School Wellness

Upper School Wellness

Wellness is woven into every aspect of Upper School student life at Beaver; it’s about where we show up, how we show up, and the partnerships we build along the way.

We make it a priority to get to know each student, supporting their unique strengths while fostering an environment where dignity and belonging are central. During these formative years, what matters most is helping students develop essential life skills—self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to collaborate and lead. As students progress from 9th through 12th grade, we focus on nurturing their growth, ensuring they are equipped with the tools to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally—both now and in the future.

Wellness Programming & Experiences

Wellness is not siloed but integrated throughout a student’s experience at Beaver. Here are some of the ways we do that.

Prime time: Daily 15-minute mindful transition

The first 15 minutes of each school day begins with an intentional transition time to “prime” students’ brains for learning. Under the guidance of student feedback and the Counseling department, a wide array of mindfulness activities are offered for students.

1:1 meetings with Counselors

The school counselors are available to meet with students for one-on-one meetings to provide psychological, social, and emotional support. Students connect with counselors in many ways: walk-ins, emails, and introductions from their advisor. We are here to support students, and when appropriate, we can coordinate with a student’s outside provider to coordinate care and better support them during the school day.

Mental Health Mini Studios

Beaver has a number of Mini Studios—opt-in workshop style classes open to students during E-Block/Lunch time.

Examples of recent Wellness Mini Studios are: 

Managing Emotions

Emotions are a central part of our brain’s operating system. This mini studio explores human emotions and why they are an important pat of our experience. In what ways do our emotions inform us? How do they protect us and keep us safe? How can we learn to work with our emotions and cope more effectively.

Brain Hacks 101

Our brains have evolved for survival not happiness. In fact, our brains oftentimes, are not great at identifying the habits and routines that actually promote wellbeing and happiness. This mini-studio will explore why are brains do what they do and how to “hack” your brain’s less helpful instinctual tendencies that interfere with long-term wellbeing.

Managing Conflict with Friends

The social lives of high school students are both essential and complicated. Finding, maintaining, and keeping a social group build into our biology. Both social groups are also frequently difficult. Conflict happens. This mini studio will explore the origins of conflict and how to resolve disagreements and maintain meaningful friendships.
BVR 101 (9th Grade)

BVR 101 is a program for all Beaver 9th-grade students to help them learn the ins and outs of Beaver, including an overview of classes and departments.

As part of this programming, every 9th-grade student has a “get to know you” meeting with one of the school counselors; this helps normalize reaching out for support when needed. Our motto: Never Worry Alone.

Healthy Relationships (9th Grade)

Every 9th-grade student at Beaver takes a Friday Wellness class one term of the school year. This wellness programming focuses on “what makes a healthy relationship,” and includes discussions about boundaries, self-identity, friendships, romantic/sexual relationships, consent, and sexual health.

PsyCollegey Advantage (12th Grade)

Beaver partners with the four-session Psycollegey Advantage Program to help our seniors anticipate and prepare for college life and living on their own.

Wellness Speakers for Students

The Counseling department often invites outside speakers to come to campus to speak at Upper School Meetings and classes. Topics include a wide variety of social, psychological, and mental health issues that are relevant to the lives of high school students.

24-25 Speakers

Dr. Jill Walsh
Social Media Professor

Ethan Kross
University of Michigan professor and author of the books “Chatter” and “Shift”

Rosalind Wiseman
Best-selling author and speaker talking about dignity and social dynamics in adolescent culture

Sam Westby
Healthy lifestyle through exercise and adventure

Rick Wilson

Beaver’s Director of Counseling and Health Services on “How to Feel Better by Changing Your Mindset” and “When We Belong, We Feel it in Our Bodies”

Student-Run Wellness Programming

Student Mental Health Club

The Student Mental Health Club is a student-led club that focuses on mental health advocacy and awareness. They plan events throughout the school year.

Student Mental Health Initiative

The Student Mental Health Initiative is a student-developed and led initiative that works for mental health awareness and advocacy in the Beaver community.

Active Minds Chapter

Active Minds in a outside agency that promotes mental health awareness and advocacy; Beaver students—supported by the counseling department—have organized their own chapter of Active Minds at Beaver.

Upper School Wellness Counselors

  • Rick Wilson
    Director of Wellness, Counseling, and Health Services
  • 617-738-2763
  • Read Bio

Rick Wilson

I have Midwestern roots and survived a middle school transition from Southern Indiana to Southern Connecticut. I started my professional life as a musician and audio engineer. Following a stint in pastoral ministry, I studied to become a clinical psychologist and have been working at Nobles for the past 15 years as well as keeping a small private practice. This journey has really shaped my willingness to embrace the twists and turns that occur in all of our lives. Life has an interesting way of unfolding!

I have been working as a clinical psychologist for eighteen years and combine my interest in positive psychology and clinical practice with helping high school students, families, and institutions discover and prioritize emotional and physical wellness. I value community, creativity, collaboration, and joyfulness. In my personal life, I have two adult daughters and live in Natick with my wife, Kim, and our two cats, Milo and Cricket. We enjoy gardening and cooking together. I am an avid cyclist, a Boston Bruins fan, and also play guitar and sing in an 80s cover band called Ghosts in the Machine. We play regularly around the Boston metro area.

Ashley Garcia

Anna Jones

Beaver Country Day School admits qualified students of any race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, handicap status, national origin or ethnicity to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, handicap status, national origin or ethinicity in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, athletic or other school-administered programs or policies.