Health and wellness was the theme of the day Thursday at Ecole Okotoks Junior High School.

Students took part in the school's Wellness Conference where they were treated to a healthy lunch and snacks, keynote speakers, and sessions focusing on different types of fitness, career skills, hobbies, and mental health.

Kim Albers, Teacher and Wellness Conference Coordinator at EOJHS, says the school recognized the need to address more than just physical health for students.

"A lot of our kids say that one of things they're dealing with is stress and anxiety so we want to teach them what is normal and what is ok, and just some strategies and techniques to help deal with that on a daily basis because they've asked for that and we want to help them out."

Layna McKay, Grade 9 Student and Student Council President, agrees with Albers and says it was important for stress and anxiety to be addressed.

"It's for their future and so they can have resources that if they're struggling with something in their life then they have people to reach out to."

This year has marked the fourth year for the conference.

Albers explains it always receives great feedback.

"Over the past years, kids come to school the next day and they say 'this is the best day' and they look forward to it every year because they get choice and they get to pick things that they're interested in, they get to learn about things that they want to learn about, so they buy in right away."

Speakers at the conference included Okotoks country music artist Michela Sheedy, former national Canadian teen Rachel Brodsky, Jack from the Kids Cancer Care Foundation, and former athlete Megan Janzen.

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