Wellness Center
Holistic Care Designed to Nurture Mind, Body, and Spirit
The Wellness Center is both a place on our campus and a name for our holistic approach to whole-child education. We recognize that our students’ ability to achieve their fullest potential is affected by many outside factors, including the realities of living in an historically under-resourced community. In response, we developed a “total care” model to nourish and support every student’s mind, body, and spirit.
By design, the Director of The Wellness Center is also the Assistant Head of School for Student & Family Engagement. We recognize the crucial role of families in supporting student wellness and actively build relationships with them based on mutual respect and trust.
Nutrition and Exercise
Holistic care starts with meeting universal human needs for nutrition and exercise. St. James provides breakfast, an afternoon snack, and a hot, nutritious lunch, low in sugar and fat and high in protein and fresh produce, often from our own raised bed gardens. Following lunch, our students enjoy 45 minutes of riding bikes and playing basketball, tag and other games across our campus.
Social-Emotional Learning
Social-emotional learning is part of the curriculum. We teach Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to educate students about the connections between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Students learn how their brains work and what happens to their bodies under stress, along with tools they can use to calm themselves and others.
Holistic Healthcare
We employ a Nurse Practitioner as our full-time school nurse. Her role goes way beyond the typical job description. She provides students with the full range of primary care services. She is also a certified pediatric developmental, behavioral, and mental health specialist. Often she is the first to detect a child’s need for psychological or behavioral health care. We employ a trained counselor to provide that care for students in need of one-on-one support and have external support services available as needed.
Healing and Recovery
The Wellness Center supports students through a wide range of social, emotional, and life experiences, including trauma, in a caring and non-judgmental environment. We recognize that when a child experiences trauma or significant stress, it can shape how they see themselves, others, and the world around them – and may show up in behavior that signals unmet needs.
At St. James, we begin with the question, “What has this child experienced?” rather than “What is wrong with this child?” This shift reflects our belief that every student deserves to be understood, supported, and guided with dignity.
We look holistically at the factors that may be impacting a student and respond using best practices in care, counseling, and restorative support. Our goal is to foster healing, stability, and growth so that every student can feel safe, known, and ready to learn and thrive.
To help us sustain and expand the work of St. James School, make a tax-deductible contribution here. To learn more about supporting our school through one of PA’s Educational Tax Credit programs, please contact our Advancement Team at [email protected] or 215-226-1276 x121 or visit our tax credit information page.
