On a normal school day, Jim Koloski stands in front of his calculus class and talks to his students about derivatives and integrals and such, but Friday, April 15, was not a normal day at Fox Lane High School.

Mr. Koloski was seated among his students in a dark classroom with the controls of a slide projector in his hand, clicking from one photograph to another that showed scenes from his Peace Corps days in Fiji. The students' eyes were glued to the screen.

"Fire from the kitchens was always a risk," he said. "That's why the kitchens were always apart from the sleeping quarters."

He told the story of the horse with only one good eye. "He went to the left very well," he said with a smile.

It was Wellness Day at Fox Lane, the purpose of which was to instill a worldly awareness, advocacy, and paths to action among the students, and if the intensity on their faces could be a judge, the day was a success.

Steve Falcone, principal of the high school, moved quickly down the hall because there was a lot to show, but he always managed to stop briefly to acknowledge a student or answer a teacher's question. He opened a few classroom doors to give a flavor of what was going on.

Dr, Thomas Betzler, a psychiatrist, made the students aware of the effects of drugs. He did not focus on the harm they can do to the body, but the economic and political aspects of addiction. Cydney Powell, of AIDS Related Community Services, talked about ways to prevent the transmission of HIV infections, and Karen Maier, the clinical coordinator of the integrative medicine program at Northern Westchester Hospital, taught the kids about aromatherapy, energy healing, and meditation, among other things.

The students learned the art of assembling floral arrangements from Mark Buzzetto, owner of the Brewster Flower Garden. "They make great gifts," he said.

Members of the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem talked about the endangered wolf species and how wolves are misunderstood and surrounded by mythology. The students were told that the decline of the wolves is an ominous sign for the rest of life on planet earth.

Allison Bates and Tracy Brown, instructors at the Bedford Hills Breathing Center, taught stretching, calisthenics, and breathing techniques and yoga.

"One more stop," Mr. Falcone said. He pulled open the door of the auditorium and headed down the steps to the front of the room Students were entering the auditorium, talking and laughing, as Mr. Falcone waited for them to take their seats.

A few students were still talking when Yvette Rugasaguhunga, a Rwandan born in 1980, was introduced. "What is a girl of 14 doing in her dad's bed?" she asked rhetorically "I decided to join my dad after the death of my mother. I always wanted to feel him close. He meant the world to me."

A quiet fell over the auditorium. The only voice heard was Ms. Rugasaguhunga as she told of the genocide against her people, the Tutsi. The Hutu were slaughtering the Tutsi. Among the victims were her father, brother, and other relatives.