A brand-new belonging space has opened in the mezzanine, offering students a welcoming environment to relax, connect, and find support. The project, fully funded by the Parent Club, aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for all students to build a sense of community within the school.
The belonging space is designed with student needs in mind, featuring comfortable seating, calming decor, and academic resources. Mr. Brunelle, a resident and guidance counselor who helped oversee the project, explained the idea behind the new lounge and its purpose.
“It’s a big ask for you guys to get off your phone. And when I saw that, plus our feedback from student surveys saying we want more opportunities to hang out.” Mr.Brunnelle says, “Boarders and day students often stay apart because there’s no shared common, interesting space. Those, all those things led me to say we need a belonging space, a place where all students can find something in it for them to do.”
The space contains a study section with whiteboard tables for group work, a social section with couches and games, and a relaxation section with comfy couches overlooking the mountain view.
“Some students are here just for academics, which is why there’s an academic space. Some students really just want to hang out and have fun, which is why there are the games. Some students want to relax, which is why there’s coloring and lounge furniture.” Mr.Brunelle said, “So it was really saying, we have this space. What can we give back to our students to promote interactions?”
Freshman Scotty Hatton and Leia Lenz-Ahron were excited to see the updates mezzanine and can’t wait to use it.
“This is exactly what we needed,” said freshman Leia. “It’s a place where everyone can hang out whether you’re studying, relaxing, or hanging out with your friends.”
“It’s amazing to have a space where we can just take a break, hang out, and relax,” said Scotty. “I feel like this is going to become a popular spot, especially during lunch and flex.”
The belonging lounge aims to provide a comfortable, fun space for students to use during their free time. Many components of the lounge, such as multiplayer games and whiteboard tables for group work, are designed to promote new friendships.
Mr. Brunelle also noted, “Most of those games involve two to four people so that when someone sees you, they can join in.” Mr.Brunnelle said, “And maybe that isn’t a new best friend, but maybe it’s a connection to someone from a younger class that you never talked to, but they said, ‘I want to play Blokus. Can I join you?’ And you go, ‘Yeah, come on in.’ Well, we’re actually embracing community and having little things to initiate it.”
The Parent Club’s generous funding made this vision a reality, demonstrating the power of community support in enhancing student life. The belonging space is already proving to be a hit. As Scotty put it best, “Since we don’t have phones now, we have all this free time and nowhere to all hang out. In the mezzanine, there’s so many different things we can all do.”