California Safe and Supportive Schools

Stronger Connections

Wellness Mini-Sessions

Wellness Mini-Sessions

Need a quick break? Join a 20-minute Wellness Mini-Session to learn about and practice a wellness strategy designed for education settings. These monthly sessions will feature wellness experts from throughout California sharing a variety of ideas that you can use and share to promote stress management. Sessions will occur on the second Wednesday of each month. Recordings will be posted to the Resources page.

Register for a Spring 2026 Wellness Mini-Session

Register for a Fall 2026 Wellness Mini-Session

May Session

From Words to Wellbeing: How Shifting Language Can Impact Wellbeing

May 13, 2026 2:00-2:20 PM

Language shapes the images we create in our minds, and those images influence how we feel and how we act. In this session, you’ll learn how to speak with intention, so your mind creates powerful inner images that shape how you feel, how you act, and ultimately, who you become. When you speak something clearly, your brain can picture it, and when you picture it repeatedly, your body begins to believe and embody it.

Dr. Marissa Smith is a Program Coordinator with the Innovation and Engagement Branch at the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, where she leads regional initiatives that promote student and staff wellness. Guided by the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) framework, she advances a comprehensive approach that aligns health and education to ensure every student is healthy, safe, engaged, and supported. She specializes in integrating mental wellness, preventative care, and evidence-based practices into school environments to strengthen emotional resilience and positive behavioral outcomes.

 

September Session

Mindfulness & Creativity with Neurographic Art

September 9, 2026, 2:00-2:20 PM

Join an interactive and restorative wellness session designed to quiet the mind and recharge the spirit. In this workshop, you will explore Neurographic Art, a meditative drawing process that transforms stress into calm through simple, flowing lines and organic shapes. Unlike traditional art, Neurographic Art focuses entirely on the process of creation rather than a final masterpiece. No art experience is needed!

Please have an 8×11 piece of white paper, a black Sharpie (or other medium or fine tip black marker), and a set of crayons, markers or watercolors to use during this session.

Facilitators: 

  • Katie Blunt is a dedicated advocate for the transformative power of the arts in both student learning and professional growth. With over twelve years of classroom experience, Katie currently serves as an Arts Content Specialist for the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, where she specializes in delivering high-impact arts education for students with special needs and facilitating SEL-centered workshops for adults. Katie’s greatest joy is helping learners of all ages discover the ways in which the arts unlock new creative pathways for expression, wellness, and self-regulation.
  • Dee Dee Buchanan is a passionate advocate for the intersection of creativity and mental wellness. Currently serving as a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Content Specialist, she supports educators and students throughout Fresno County by integrating the arts into daily wellbeing practices. With over 22 years of experience in education, Dee Dee brings a wealth of expertise and a nurturing approach to her facilitation, helping adults and students connect with their own resilience and joy through artist expression.

 

Need to find a strategy now? Check out the BeWell website to find quick and easy practices to chill out, refocus, or maintain well-being.

Navigation

Related Resources