September 11th, 2018

Today we introduced Mindfulness to our classroom. In our classroom, we will be practicing Mindfulness every day. We do this in a variety of ways. The first is the establishment of our daily practice. Each day, after "Oh, Canada," announcements, etc. we take 3-4 minutes to get ready for the day. We practice breathing and focusing for the day ahead. This is our daily practice. This practice will change throughout the year, but this is what we will be starting with:

Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes or look down.

Pay close attention to your breathing. Feel air come in through your nose, then fill your chest and your belly. Calmly and slowly, let the breath leave your belly, then your chest, and finally your nose.

Keep your shoulders dropped and relaxed. Think about the air coming into your body and the air going out.

Bring your attention back to your breath, if your mind tries to think about other things. 

Notice your stomach rising and falling. Let your belly be soft and relaxed. 

Open your eyes slowly and take a slow, deep breath.

Learning to centre ourselves helps us to quiet our minds and to get ready to learn. This practice can be used several times a day, especially if we are struggling with transitions, and students are encouraged to do it on their own if needed. Our daily practice helps to set the tone and gets everyone in a state of mind in which we can all participate purposefully and thoughtfully. 

We will also be using other Mindfulness techniques and strategies throughout the year. For example, just last week we did a breathing exercise before writing a Math quiz. Or doing some yoga to refocus ourselves during a difficult transition. We will also be learning about why we use Mindfulness in our upcoming Health classes, though we have already begun talking about it in class. Ask your student if they can remember what their amygdala ("guard dog"), hippocampus ("wise old owl" or "schema"), or prefrontal cortex does ("the boss") and how mindfulness can help!

​Agenda
Language Arts:
​- Read 20 minutes (track in your Agenda)
Math:
Science:
Social Studies:
French:
Health:
Art:
PEAK: Wednesday
Other: 
​- Return Additional Information Handout (Rachelle, Ibrahim)

Welcome Back BBQ - September 12th, 5:30-7:30 pm