Cedar Springs — High school is hectic, and it can be hard to find time to slow down, take a breath and recharge.
Luckily for Cedar Springs students, there’s now time carved out each week to do just that — and over a cup of tea, no less.
Morning Mug is a weekly offering, new this year, organized by Michelle Wiles, one of the high school’s administrative assistants. Each Tuesday, students who choose to participate stop by the cafeteria and chat, with Wiles and with one another, over their favorite brew.
There’s no requirement to attend, no attendance policy, no credit — it’s just time to unwind a bit and connect before the school day starts in earnest. And students are finding a lot to like about it.
“It helps, early in the morning, for me to calm down, and it helps me be more social with people during the day,” said junior Angel Winquest, a frequent visitor. “I normally am not, like, a social person, but ever since we started Morning Mug, I’ve started opening up a lot more.”
Making Genuine Connections
Wiles said the program arose from a desire on her part to form and establish “moments of genuine connection” with students.
She said she spends most of her time in the administrative office, so she doesn’t get as much student interaction as she’d like.
“Since teachers have the opportunity to connect with over 100 students each day in their classrooms, I wanted to find a way for me to build those same kinds of connections,” Wiles said.
Wiles grew up enjoying tea and conversation with her grandmother, and she pitched an idea to Principal Todd Simmons to organize something similar with students — a chance to come together and chat, with no pressure and no expectations.
“He was like, ‘I absolutely love this idea,’” Wiles said, recalling Simmons’ reaction to her concept.
And so, Morning Mug was born, starting at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.
‘It’s nice to come to school in the morning and have someone that cares about what you’re doing in your life.’
— junior Sophie Host
Wiles implemented little questions and conversation prompts to break the ice, and they’ve become a weekly tradition now.
“It could be virtually anything,” Wiles said of the icebreakers, stressing that the questions are never too personal or intrusive — just fun little conversation-starters about what music students are listening to, or what pets they have, or what classes they thought they’d hate but ended up loving.
The questions are mixed up in a bowl and drawn at random at the start of each session, and Wiles chats with students for about 15 minutes about whichever topic comes up.
She said she usually gets between five and 10 students a week, with a handful of frequent flyers like Angel, senior Jaden Halliwill, junior Sophie Host and Wiles’ daughter Alana.
“It’s nice to come to school in the morning and have someone that cares about what you’re doing in your life,” Sophie said. “It’s nice to know that somebody in the school, who’s not working with all the kids, wants to get to know them and wants to have that connection with kids that otherwise she wouldn’t have.”
Alana admitted that she did start coming, at least in part, because her mom spearheaded the whole affair. But she’s found plenty of reasons to keep coming back.
“It’s cool to get to know people that I thought I knew everything about,” Alana said, “but also people that I don’t really know that well.”
Jaden said he’s glad he started attending, adding that he’d recommend future students take the opportunity, should the Morning Mug continue.
“I just think it’s really nice — even if it’s just 10 to 15 minutes — to just talk to people and not have to think about school or any other problems,” Jaden said. “It’s just a good opportunity to get to know other people in your school and, like, building a community.”
Added Alana: “People spend money every morning on drinks. Just come get it here for free.”
The whole undertaking has been a success, Wiles said, and it’s her hope that Morning Mug will continue in the fall.
“I honestly can recognize students in the hallway that I didn’t know before they sat down at Morning Mug,” she said. “It’s definitely been a positive experience for me. … I think it’s amazing.”
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