An important component of the Intermediate Program, wellness class helps students develop positive relationships and build interpersonal skills, all while encouraging a bit of fun! Last week, fifth graders played the Marshmallow Game, a team building exercise that promotes collaboration. “The girls have to solve a problem and use good communication skills to get themselves and their teammates through an obstacle,” said Lower School counselor Jennifer Vaughan. “In this case, the field became a scalding hot, make-believe cocoa river, and each girl received one marshmallow block to use as a stepping stone. But beware! An evil fairy threatened to steal any marshmallow left unattended! The goal was for the girls to figure out a way to get their team across without losing a marshmallow or having to start over.”

Once issued their challenge, the girls swayed and hopped on their blocks before figuring out how to maneuver the obstacle as a team. “It was very challenging, but I’m so proud with our efforts, and it was a lot of fun!” exclaimed Nela Long ’27, who managed to help her team despite wearing a medical boot. “I try to do two collaboration exercises a year with each grade level,” noted Vaughan. “They practice working together and using many of the skills we learn about in class, including communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution, among others.” For these fifth graders, getting to put their skills to the test was a sweet reward indeed.