NC schools embrace 'Serenity Rooms' to help with teachers' morale, wellness

    BUNCOMBE COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) -- One local school is taking action to help teachers with the amount of stress that a school day can bring.

Local schools embrace 'Serenity Rooms' to help with teachers' morale, wellness

Less than two years ago, Charles T. Koontz Intermediate School made a space for teachers to ease their minds. Hence, the “Serenity Room” was born.

Another one is set to open inside Valley Springs Middle School next week.

“Once I saw [Koontz’s serenity room], we knew we wanted one here for our teachers,” Valley SpringsMiddle School Principal Amy Rhoney said. “It is so good for our staff to have a place to come sit, relax and unwind, even if that’s just for 15 minutes.”

That is the point of a Serenity Room – Snacks, drinks, music and space to unwind when time permits on a busy school day.

“Having a place to just go back and have a quiet moment in a busy school building is a nice way to refresh before entering back in,” said Julie Wimbish, a teacher at Koontz.

Wimbish has seen first-hand how the room helps staff morale. The best part is that the Christos Foundation – a non-profit partner of Buncombe County Schools – raised the funds to furnish both spaces.

“They have seen the need for our staff,” Wimbish said. “They are pouring that back into our schools.”

It is not just a room with some luxuries. There is a personal touch.

“They surveyed our teachers to ask them what they would like,” Rhoney said. “What snacks, drinks and other things are important to them? It shows to our teachers that we have community partners that care about them and the work they’re doing. [We want our teachers] to take a break away for a few minutes in their day. To reset, just like sometimes, we ask our students to do. That’s very important for our teachers.”

Those at Koontz and Valley Springs are anticipating helping other schools make rooms of their own.

“It’s a whole different environment where they’re able to interact with each other,” Wimbish said. “They get encouragement from each other, and that does help them go back. Our staff has really enjoyed this. To know how hard teachers works, and to know this could be replicated in other schools, makes me very excited.”

The hope is that with the help of the Christos Foundation, there will be more serenity rooms made in the near future.