School can be overwhelming sometimes, especially when thousands of high school students come together in one building, but Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills has created a space designed to combat some of that stress.
Its new Wellness Room, which had an official open house last month, is a dedicated space for students to relax and recharge.
It’s “intentionally designed in order to create a calming and welcoming environment for students,” said Jocelyn Wysocki, a Stagg social worker who spearheaded the project with social worker Paige Lombard.
“I think our main hope for this space is to help fill a need that we’ve seen for years – students needing space, time, and support to calm themselves from various situations as well as students sometimes needing a quiet space to retreat and refocus so they can proceed with their day,” Wysocki shared. “I’ve seen that our students are often quite skilled in this area – knowing when they’re feeling better and when they might need additional support.”
The room’s effects are expected to extend beyond the school day. “Providing a safe and supportive environment, one in which students are facilitated to manage their emotions by trialing and practicing new coping skills, can ultimately work to support positive outcomes for students and the school community as a whole,” Wysocki explained. “We can create a supportive environment that equips students with the coping tools and strategies they need to navigate the stressors and challenges they may face during their academic day and beyond.”
The Wellness Room was created with students’ needs in mind. “As the room is multipurpose (hosting drop-in students, social work groups, meetings, enrichment sessions, etc), we have a number of larger meeting tables as well as soft furnishings (armchairs, a couch, a beanbag) that students may opt for during a drop-in session. We prioritized low, decentralized lighting to support a calm feeling in the space,” Wysocki said. “We project calming music and videos during sessions as well.”
The room’s design drew praise from Kathryn Meader, director of Stagg’s guidance department, who supervises the social workers.
“Our social workers did an outstanding job thoughtfully designing the Wellness Room. Every element – from the calming furniture choices to the hands-on coping tools and activities – was selected with purpose. They created a space that feels welcoming, safe, and responsive to students’ emotional needs,” she said. “It is clear the team wanted a room where any student could walk in, feel grounded, and immediately access strategies that support their well-being.”
She hopes it becomes “a reliable, stigma-free resource for students – a place they can use proactively, not just in moments of stress. We want students to develop emotional awareness, coping strategies, and self-regulation skills that will serve them long after their time at Stagg. Ultimately, I hope this space strengthens our broader culture of care and continues to highlight the essential work of our social workers.”
Thus far, Meader believes it’s working well. “While it is still new, the early indicators show that it is meeting a real need in our building. Students are using the room to regulate, reset, and return to class more focused and ready to learn. Teachers and support staff have shared that students appear more regulated and equipped to handle challenges after visiting.”
The Wellness Room, which is in a new classroom in the recent addition at Stagg, is centrally located on the main floor near pupil personnel services staff and the main office. It’s open for student drop-ins on Mondays and Thursdays during lunch hours, as well as during second period on select Fridays for enrichment activities.
Those activities are varied. “Enrichment activities this semester have included making friendship bracelets and painting kindness rocks, with mindful coloring, shell painting, making your own worry stone and good luck finals clothespins,” said social worker Shannon Kleczka. “Many students have expressed their appreciation for the space!”
Regular student visitors do seem to enjoy it. “I visit the room with my friend because it is so peaceful and nice,” junior Vanessa Jimenez said via a news release. “To a classmate who is unsure about using the space, I would just tell them that it’s very chill and nice in there mostly when you just need to relax.”
So far, students are giving the room good reviews, according to school officials.
“The enrichments are a great thing to do to also meet others,” one student shared in a news release. “I like how the wellness room during the quiet space is a sensory friendly place with fidget toys too. I usually visit the room when I feel like I’m stressed or overwhelmed.”
A social worker monitors the room during drop-in times Mondays and Thursdays. During enrichment periods on select Friday intervention days, staff such as social workers, interventionists, psychologists and counselors volunteer to supervise students. “It is truly a group effort and their participation is much appreciated in order to provide these sessions to students,” Wysocki said. “A QR code is used to track participant data.”
During lunch-hour drop-ins, students use a variety of the resources, often trying something different each time. “Students seem to enjoy exploring the room and its materials and discovering new ways to relax and de-stress,” Kleczka said.
Creating the room took time, energy and about $5,000, which was provided by the District 230 Foundation to buy furniture, rugs, calming decor, fidget devices and supplies for enrichment activities.
“We are so grateful to have the support of the D230 Foundation in bringing this project to life!” Wysocki shared. “A team of Stagg guidance staff including social workers, counselors and our student assistance coordinator have been managing the project and meet weekly to continue advancing and improving this initiative. We are excited to see how the Stagg Wellness Room grows and develops over time as more students benefit from this universal student support.”
“The idea for a wellness space at Stagg has been around for years, but space was always a limiting factor. After recent construction updates, we were finally able to make it a reality,” Lombard said. “The planning and initial setup began last spring when Jocelyn and I met with our principal and guidance director to gain their support, and it has been an ongoing process since then to refine and enhance the room.”
Lombard said the team requested a classroom space that could be used throughout the school day instead of just during second period. Once that approval was given, Wysocki submitted a grant application to the foundation.
“This school year, we formed a professional learning community focused on the Wellness Room, which includes our social workers, one counselor, and the student assistance coordinator,” Lombard added. “We meet weekly to continuously evaluate and evolve the space based on student needs.”
She said the room’s design was inspired primarily by students, “their feedback, their needs, and the patterns we observed in how they regulate throughout the school day. Many of the elements, such as flexible seating and softer lighting, came directly from student suggestions about what helps them feel calm and focused.”
The team also drew on “conversations with colleagues who have created similar spaces, as well as from our own experiences as social workers and counselors in understanding what environments help young people feel safe and grounded,” Lombard said. “The activities in the room were selected based on what students consistently respond well to, including hands-on calming tools, mindfulness activities, and quiet reflection spaces. Overall, the room is a blend of student voice, collaborative teamwork, and evidence-based practices for regulation and wellness.”
Lombard has high hopes for the project. “My hope for the Wellness Room is that it becomes a safe, welcoming space where students can pause, regulate, and recharge during their day. I want it to be a place where students feel seen and supported, whether they need a moment of calm, a hands-on activity, or just a quiet space to reflect,” she said. “Ultimately, I hope it helps students build the skills and resilience they need to manage stress, emotions, and social challenges both in school and beyond.”
She said students and staff have shared very positive feedback about the space, which shows it’s “filling a real need in our building” such as the low-level lighting, flexible seating and calming environment.
“We continuously evolve the space based on student needs, and we’re considering expanding drop-in opportunities to more days in the future. Overall, the Wellness Room is successfully supporting students in managing stress, building coping skills, and finding a quiet, safe space to reset during the school day, which was exactly our goal,” she said.
Melinda Moore is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
