School Principals’ Day or Principal Appreciation Day is celebrated every year on May 1st. Brain Power Wellness reviews the hard work and dedication of all principals and would like to take the opportunity to say “thank you” to the principals involved with the organization.
“We deeply appreciate the time these tireless individuals take to envision and plan how our partnership can bring greater collaboration to their school community,” explains Rebecca Wheaton, District of Columbia & Maryland Field Coordinator.
Today, Brain Power Wellness reviews and spotlights Alexei Nichols, a principal who is an outstanding, proactive, and joyful example of executive leadership in one of BPW’s partner schools, 340X, in the Bronx, NY. Principal Nichols and Brain Power Wellness have been partnering since 2020.
Principal Nichols and Brain Power Wellness
Principal Nichols, a former assistant principal at the school, took the helm in 2016 when its founding principal, Deirdre Burke, retired. Brain Power Wellness wants to thank and celebrate Principal Nichols for her vision and positivity as she leads the school year after year.
Based on teachers’ responses to the annual NYC School Survey, Nichols gets high marks for leadership. She is easy to work with and tenacious about accomplishing her vision. By enthusiastically including Brain Power Wellness retreats, professional development, and staff wellness sessions and parent workshops into the school’s wellness program, Nichols has successfully incorporated every facet of BPW’s program into PS 340X.
Principal Appreciation Day
School Principals’ Day was created several years ago by Janet Dellaria of Trout Creek, Michigan, who was a teacher and a social worker. Dellaria’s vision was to spread the word about the essential work that principals do by celebrating them every year on May 1st to create a national culture of joy about their role in school communities.
Principal Appreciation Day is so important because their title often carries unjustified undertones of strictness and unapproachability. Historically, their position of power was feared by many.
This vital leadership position requires many external tasks as well as interpersonal and visionary skills. Some of these external tasks are: professionally developing the staff; ensuring enrollment each year; planning and executing the annual budget; ensuring school safety and security; and responding to the teaching and non-teaching staff, parents, students, and community members who solicit support for their causes.
Internally, the principal must regularly encourage and recognize the staff’s contributions while also making decisions that may be displeasing to others. They are relationship-builders; as such, their position requires a high degree of emotional intelligence in order to empathetically and wisely handle the myriad demands they need to address, often on an urgent basis.
Wellbeing in the School Community
Brain Power Wellness field coordinators and instructors receive an abundance of inspiration from Alexei Nichols’ attention to the staff, the students, and the families of students.
For example, when BPW offered virtual reinforcement sessions for the student leaders in its partner schools during the pandemic, Principal Nichols always attended those meetings. In so doing, she not only prioritized her own self-care but also deepened her understanding of Brain Power Wellness tools and practices.
Principal Nichols has even designated one of the rooms in the school as a wellness/meditation room. This naturally provides a physical space to support the social-emotional infrastructure to support the entire school community.
Community and Staff Involvement
In addition, her vision was instrumental in training two dynamic BPW teacher leaders in her school, Jayra Sanchez and Supreet Dillion, through the Certified Teacher Leader retreat in upstate New York. These amazing teacher leaders continue to support school-wide Brain Power Wellness activities, ensuring that the student leader cohorts have ongoing inspiration and guidance.
Principal Nichols shares how Brain Power Wellness has supported this vision: “My top priority is the health and wellness of my students, staff and parents. Our vision is to cultivate a nurturing community that fosters respect, wellness, and success for all. By integrating the Brain Power Wellness activities into the fabric of our school community, students are happier and more engaged. Teachers are able to focus on self care in order to be their very best selves for their students and their families. As I always say, ‘healthy body, healthy mind.’”
Notably, the parent coordinator of the school, Maria Acosta, has also been a champion of bringing Brain Power Wellness into the lives of parents through virtual and in-person workshops, as well as attendance at the company’s annual family Brain Power Wellness retreat.
Principal Nichols consistently seeks to aid Acosta’s efforts in any way she can.
As Maria explains: “During the height of COVID, Brain Power Wellness taught the P.S. 340X family how deep breathing, tapping, stretching and mindfulness exercises can transform our mood and improve our health. Deep breathing and other activities learned from Brain Power are part of all my parent workshops. It has been an inspiration for me to notice how the mindset of parents shifted from hesitation to appreciation of how empowering the activities are. I am thankful to Alexei for having the foresight to bring Brain Power Wellness to our community.”
A Model Leader
As illustrated by some but certainly not all of the above examples, school principals devote enormous amounts of time, effort, vision, and love to their labors, and Principal Alexei Nichols of 340X in the Bronx is a prime example of this.
About Brain Power Wellness
Brain Power Wellness is a holistic, school-based wellness organization that supports healthy, happy, and focused school environments. The mission of Brain Power Wellness is to help transform the culture of its partner schools through self-development, mindfulness, community building, retreats, SEL, holistic wellness, and brain training for teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Recently, corporate groups have begun attending Brain Power Wellness retreats, where participants receive powerful tools for creating healthy, sustainable, and happy work environments.
