Thursday, February 26, 2015

Peace Club Posters



The kids who come to Peace Club love to draw.  They made these awesome posters that you might see adorning our walls.  They are doing a great job of spreading the message of peace throughout our school.  Enjoy!

- Linda






Mindfulness Literally Changes Your Brain


In Peace Class recently we have been learning about our brains.  It has been fun and fascinating and allows us to better understand how we think and why we react to things in different ways and how we can use our mindfulness skills to help.  A new study shows surprising results that even an 8-week mindfulness course can literally change your brain.  This article from the Harvard Business Review focuses on the brain effects that would most benefit executives.

"Mindfulness should no longer be considered a “nice-to-have” for executives. It’s a “must-have”:  a way to keep our brains healthy, to support self-regulation and effective decision-making capabilities, and to protect ourselves from toxic stress. It can be integrated into one’s religious or spiritual life, or practiced as a form of secular mental training.  When we take a seat, take a breath, and commit to being mindful, particularly when we gather with others who are doing the same, we have the potential to be changed."

So cool!  Read the whole article here:

https://hbr.org/2015/01/mindfulness-can-literally-change-your-brain



Monday, February 2, 2015

New Research Supports Mindfulness in Schools

New Research Supports Mindfulness in Schools

This article outlines new research from Canada documenting the benefits of mindfulness in schools.

The researchers say: “I think there’s increasing recognition of how social, emotional and cognitive functioning are intermingled; that kids may have difficulty in school when emotional challenges arise and that impacts learning,” she adds. “Can you imagine how this could shift the climate of our schools, our community, our world, if cultivating these qualities was at the forefront of education?”

http://www.teachthought.com/culture/new-priority-teaching-mindfulness-elementary-school/

What is exciting is that the program studied by these researchers is on a much smaller scale than our own Peace of Mind program.  Imagine how Lafayette's deeper, more intensive program is benefiting our kids?!

- Linda