Ethel Walker School
At the heart of the mission of The Ethel Walker School is a commitment to the health and wellness of our community. Here, an active lifestyle is encouraged.
Students begin learning about self care beginning in Middle School with the curriculum continuing through a sophomore seminar in women’s health and a self defense class the senior year. The wellness curriculum is offered through seminars on topics including study skills and adolescent development and it is enhanced by special events and assemblies on related topics including body image, self defense, and college readiness.
Fresh and nutritious foods are offered daily in our on-campus dining facility and all students are welcome to eat their meals in Abra’s Dining Hall during the school week as well as on weekends. Students are required to participate in a co-curricular activity each season lending opportunities for exercise, fun, and relaxation while building new skills. An academic advisor is assigned to each student who monitors academic progress as well as her social and emotional wellbeing.
Whether you live close by or far away, it is important to know that someone is here for your daughter when she is not feeling well, requires medication, or has health-related questions.
The Health Center is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. An on-call nurse is available for emergencies or urgent care situations at other times.
Our Health Center facility is easily accessible on the bottom floor of the Centennial Center and within close proximity to sports facilities and the training room. There is a large reception area with comfy furniture where staff talks with students to get an idea of their needs. This is also the area where daily medications are dispensed; our treatment room resembles a doctor’s office and allows for student privacy.
There are four single-bedrooms for students requiring overnight stays or an area to rest, three of which have their own full bathroom. There is an additional full bath with a therapeutic tub off the hallway and a kitchen is available to supply light meals when students are staying in the Health Center for longer periods of time. Both day and boarding students can stay if they are feeling ill during the class day and overnight coverage is available for boarding studetns when the situation requires constant nursing care. The Health Center follows the regulations from the State for admission to overnight care.
Most over-the-counter medications are available for day and boarding students at no additional charge making it convenient for students to access what they need without interrupting their school day. Medications that are required on a daily basis must be cleared by the nursing staff and a written statement from the prescribing physician is required. Boarding students are allowed certain over the counter meds in their rooms as long as it has been cleared by the Health Center. Most prescription drugs are kept in the Health Center per state regulations. Each fall on-site administration of the flu shot is offered to those students who have permission from their parent or guardian.
The Health Center is also the site for “Ms. Mac’s” classroom, which is where she teaches Women’s Health and Culture to all 10th-grade girls. In addition to learning about their bodies, students are certified in American Red Cross Adult/Child CPR, First Aid, and use of the Automatic External Defibrillator as part of our Capabilities Approach Program.
Director of Health Services
"What I like most about working at Walker's is the opportunity to work with the adolescent population. Our girls are bright, outgoing and talented young people."
Learn MoreDirector of Counseling and Wellness Joan Skelley heads up Walker’s Wellness team and is responsible for assisting students with their counseling needs. Joan is a Connecticut Licensed Professional Counselor as well as a Nationally Certified Counselor. She has a particular interest in building programs that help adolescent girls develop emotional resilience and she works within the framework of Positive Psychology. Joan chairs the school’s Wellness Team, teaches 7th Grade Wellness, and co-teaches the Wellness portion of the 9th Grade Seminar. Joan is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Connecticut Counseling Association, and the National Board of Certified Counselors.
The Counseling Center, located in the Constance Lavino Bell Library, serves as a resource for students who are in need of emotional support for any personal struggles they may face during the school year. Recognizing that adolescence can be a time of difficult transitions, the Counseling Center offers wellness programming, individual counseling, workshops and group meetings for students, and consultation services for parents. In addition, Joan conducts inservice training for faculty and staff. All of our services are provided without charge. Parental/guardian permission or notification by the School is not needed for a student to meet with the School counselor. Meetings with a counselor are confidential except in cases where the student’s own health and safety, or that of another person, is in jeopardy.
Joan also organizes activities for students which provide stress relief including meditation, therapy dog visits, and exam week stress busters. Students frequently visit Joan in her office located inside the Constance Lavino Bell Library in an area that provides privacy.
Director of Counseling and Wellness
Joan Skelley has been a CT licensed professional counselor as well as a nationally certified counselor since 2000. She is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Connecticut Counseling Association, and the National Board of Certified Counselors.
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Joyce McIntyre
Director of Health Services
Joyce McIntyre
Joan Skelley
Director of Counseling and Wellness
Joan Skelley
Joan received her undergraduate degree in anthropology from Wesleyan University, and a Master of Science in exercise and sports studies from Smith College. She later earned a second master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Saint Joseph, graduating in 1998. She has been a CT licensed professional counselor as well as a nationally certified counselor since 2000, and has worked both as the clinical director for a non-profit agency in West Hartford, CT and in private practice. After consulting with Walker’s Middle School in 2006-2007, Joan was excited to join the Walker’s staff full-time as director of counseling and wellness in September 2007. She has a passion for building programs that help adolescent girls develop emotional resilience and works within the framework of Positive Psychology. In addition to providing and directing counseling services for all the School’s students, Joan chairs the Wellness Team, teaches 7th Grade Wellness, and co-teaches the Wellness portion of the 9th Grade Seminar. She is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Connecticut Counseling Association, and the National Board of Certified Counselors. She lives in Avon with her husband Mel and they enjoy a wide variety of outdoor adventures together.
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Andrea Bacon
Nurse
Andrea Bacon
Lisa Fichandler
Nurse (PT)
Lisa Fichandler
Dara Joy Neiman
Nurse
Dara Joy Neiman
