Health & Wellness

The health, safety and well-being of every student is of paramount importance at Newark Academy. NA’s multi-disciplinary team of medical and mental health professionals work closely with faculty, staff and parents to create individual and age-appropriate programming designed to maintain student  health, reduce high-risk behaviors, and support students’ academic performance. 

Newark Academy has two full-time registered nurses (R.N.) on-site every day. All medical aspects of their practice are overseen by Atlantic Health System and school physician Dr. Daniel Harrington, D.O., who is Board certified in Family Medicine. NA’s school nurses are the primary point of contact for all student physical health-related issues, for information related to students’ annual physical examinations (required by the State of New Jersey) and the on-going management of any student health conditions. All student medical information is provided by parents via the Magnus Health digital platform, which is in full compliance with all HIPAA medical information security regulations. Parents may access additional information about school medical requirements and Magnus Health by going to the resource board on MyNA.

Positive mental health is one of every person’s biggest assets. How we think, feel and interact with one another shapes our ability to make the most of life’s opportunities. To assist students, at all grade levels, navigate the sometimes bumpy road of adolescence, Newark Academy has two full-time counselors — Kirsti Morin in the Middle School and Carol Spooner in the Upper School.  Ms. Morin and Ms. Spooner work closely with faculty and administrators to identify student mental health needs and provide a vital link and highly confidential link between the school and each student’s family. Both counselors are available to meet regularly with students, as requested, as well as offering students and families with a wide-range of external mental health providers.  More information on adolescent mental health resources recommended by Ms. Morin and Ms. Spooner may be found on the MyNA resource board.

Health and wellness topics are addressed through the curriculum and through co-curricular and extra-curricular offerings as well as parent education programs co-hosted by the Newark Academy Parents Association (NAPA). Examples of program topics include:

• Adolescents and Sleep
• Mindfulness and Meditation
• Nutrition and Healthy Eating
• Stress Management
• Resilience and Grit
• Social Media and Screen-Time
• Race, Ethnic, Gender Identity Issues
• Alcohol and Drug Prevention
• Suicide Awareness and Prevention
• Social Interaction and Consent