Wellness: Integral to a Prep Education

"When students have a place where they routinely see a variety of health and fitness activities happening, they are more likely to step outside of their comfort zones and try something new. They stretch and grow in ways that benefit themselves and strengthen the school community. That’s why this new wellness center represents such a powerful addition to our program." -Keith A. Crowley, Ph.D., Principal/Associate Head of School

Wellness programs are integral to the daily educational experience at St. John’s. They include everything from yoga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to mindfulness meditation. Bringing wellness and athletics together in a comprehensive facility offers developmental and educational benefits, and it helps to build community.

The wellness center will be located in what is now a parking lot between Cronin Memorial Stadium and the Brother Linus, C.F.X. Athletics Commons. The two-story facility will include:

  • 8-lane indoor pool
  • 4-court field house with an indoor track
  • Elevated track
  • Fitness space
  • Locker rooms for teams, students, faculty and staff
  • Gallery space for student artwork
  • Meditation room
  • 2 multi-purpose rooms
  • Offices for wellness and athletics staff

St. John’s offers 20 interscholastic sports at the High School level. At the Middle School level, the Prep offers nine interscholastic sports, as well as developmental teams and intramurals.

The wellness center is being designed by Flansburgh Architects of Boston and will be built by Beverly-based Windover Construction. The same team designed and built the Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center, and renovated Brother Benjamin Hall for the Middle School.
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Community-Based Philanthropic Support

"We are deeply grateful for the level of generosity that is making the wellness center a reality. The Prep community has come together in an extraordinary way for the benefit of students now and for generations to come." -Headmaster Edward Hardiman

The full $25 million cost of the Wellness Center has been secured through philanthropic gifts from members of the school community.

Related Projects

Improvements to Cronin Memorial Stadium
  • 400-meter regulation size track
  • Synthetic turf, regulation size for soccer football and lacrosse
  • Lights for night practices and competitions
  • New home and away bleachers
Solar Array

The construction project will also involve the installation of a 650-kw solar array on school-owned property behind Cronin Memorial Stadium. The solar array will generate sufficient electricity to fully power the wellness center during daylight hours.

Watch Dr. Hardiman's announcement about construction of the Wellness Center! Scheduled to open in fall 2017, the new 78,000-square-foot facility will be home to the Prep's growing wellness programs, including interscholastic athletics, as well as intramural and club sports.

See the live stream of Dr. Hardiman's announcement on January 28, 2016, from Kennealy Commons in the Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center.

"Building the wellness center is absolutely fundamental to our mission. It will enhance our athletics facilities, and every bit as important, it will help us meet the physical, developmental and spiritual needs of our students by providing space for programs that promote lifelong habits of health and wellness. We’re fulfilling the vision of our founding Headmaster, Brother Benjamin, who said that 'education is not a means to an end, but a journey of personal growth and self-discovery.'" -Headmaster Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D.

#ItsHappeningSJP! On January 28, 2016, St. John's announced plans to build a new Wellness Center. Scheduled to open in fall 2017 and part of the Prep 20/20 strategic plan, it is the latest in a series of extraordinary changes that can be seen across campus, from the faces of our new Middle School students to the busy classrooms of the Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center. Both the Middle School and the new High School building opened in September 2015.