Outside Red Hook High School Thursday, hundreds of students laughed, competed and relaxed as DJ Andrew Makebish's music kept the energy up.
Inside on the school’s Performing Arts Center stage, a circle of students slowly moved through a series of yoga poses under pale purple light in an otherwise dark and serene room.
Elsewhere in various classrooms, students delighted in board games, drawing and various crafts, moving at their own pace.
The school’s annual Spring into Wellness event offered recreation to meet every taste as the school shut down for a long Memorial Day weekend.
The event was broken into four sessions spanning the last two hours of the day and students were allowed to pick one activity to do per session; most were offered throughout the event, giving students the chance to mix up the fun.
On the back lawn, students enjoyed games that included cornhole, Kan Jam, Spikeball, volleyball and soccer, among others, and teachers led mindfulness and nature walks. Students could also decorate rocks at picnic tables or visit with Lou the therapy dog. The back lawn is also where popcorn and drinks were available.
Inside, jigsaw puzzles and a variety of board games were in a classroom and the senior lounge, and students could utilize the art room or make bracelets. In the cafeteria, staff led an instructional session on smoothie making -- that included a tasting. In addition to the yoga in the PAC, the library was where students could go to practice breathing exercises.
Not only is the annual event an opportunity for students to unwind and destress before the final few weeks of the school year, but it’s held in recognition of Mental Health Awareness month, with activities to support mental wellness, school counselor Nicole Schmidt pointed out.