On Friday, December 9, Notre Dame Academy held its second annual De-Stress Fest in the Alumni Gym.

Students were invited to attend during their study halls, and the event promised to be a rewarding and relaxing experience.

The event was spearheaded by Student Services counselor Ciera Gerl, who was inspired by a TikTok video she saw.

“I took some of the ideas from the video and adapted them to what we could do here,” she shared. “We wanted to do De-Stress Fest around finals to give students a chance to relax and spend some time focusing on their mental health.”

This year, De-Stress featured activities including a collaborative art project, temporary tattoos, snacks, therapy dogs and scratch art.

“Final exam time and the holiday season can be a really stressful time for everyone for a lot of different reasons,” said Gerl. “Our hope is that students (and staff) can take a few minutes to relax, focus on their mental health and have some fun.”

De-Stress Fest also provided students with a bag filled with supplies designed to help them focus on their mental health and be their best selves.

The bag included a pencil with an eraser, a stress toy, a candy cane, a sticker and a sheet designed to help students with mental health.

These supplies worked alongside the experience of De-Stress Fest to calm students and make sure they aren’t too stressed over the winter season.

“I really liked De-Stress Fest this year,” shared sophomore Brynn Nelson. “My favorite part was the bead art station.”