Students at Mount St. Mary Academy took a break from hitting the books to focus on their health and well being this week. Mount St. Mary hosted a school-wide Wellness Day on Friday, January 27 to help remind students that it is important to care for their bodies and minds and give them the tools to do so.

With the aim to engage students, Mount St. Mary's guidance team organized a schedule of peer groups and workshops which kept students active throughout the day. Students were introduced to a wide range of topics, including healthy relationships, stress management and self-esteem.

One of the most popular sessions was a workshop on self-defense, taught by 2007 alumna Sarah Galante. Yoga sessions and the opportunity for healthy snacks topped off the day.

"Today's young people will face challenges that we as parents never dreamed of," says Principal Dawn Riggie. "Our mission at Mount St. Mary Academy is to develop the whole being, and that means going beyond the classroom to prepare young women for the lives that they will lead."

Mount St. Mary Academy, founded by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur in 1927, is an all-girls, Catholic college-preparatory high school located at 3756 Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. Mount St. Mary's is ranked in the top 5% of all Western New York high schools.