Students give positive reviews to Mountain Lakes' wellness summit; district flags presenter quality and scheduling challenges

Presenters at the Mountain Lakes Board of Education meeting described the district's second annual Lakers Health and Wellness Summit as an interactive, student-centered event that drew 550 participants and used grade-level keynotes plus small workshops.

"We actually did it on April 2' and we had 550 students in our building," one presenter said, outlining a schedule of a single morning session with 50-minute keynotes and shorter 25-minute workshops. Survey results shared with the board showed 74 percent of students rated the event a 4 or 5 out of 5, 67 percent said their chosen workshops were helpful, and 72 percent reported they learned something they could use in their lives.

Presenters credited partnerships with local organizations and with the Home and School Association for funding and logistics. They also said presenter quality matters: interactive workshops (yoga, Pilates, peer-run sessions) and high-energy keynote programs drew the strongest engagement, while some outside presenters were less effective.

"We're starting to find more and more that our kids, they didn't want to be talked to," a presenter said. "They wanted to be interactive. Teachers know how to teach. These right here were interactively involved."

The summit team flagged logistical challenges for future events: scheduling to avoid testing windows, preserving instructional time, and recruiting presenters who can hold students' attention. They also said a small proportion of students leave early when the summit is scheduled immediately before a school break and they continue to refine timing to maximize attendance.

Board members and public commenters praised the program and encouraged ongoing support from the HSA and community partners.