Middle School mindfulness presentation to BOE
Sixth-grade students participated in a mindfulness pilot program this
past fall and three students had the opportunity to share some of the
skills they learned at a recent Board of Education meeting.
Middle school Principal Dr. Robert Neidig and English teacher Alison
Giannusa, who was instrumental in the success of the program, presented
on the feedback from students and staff. They were followed by students
Kiersten Parmegiani, Noelle Eckart and Alexa Eichinger, who instructed
the Board members, school administrators and community members in
attendance in a cooling breath and the half sun salutation, two of the
many strategies they learned in the eight-week program. Their calming
voices and guidance were well received by all who took part in the
exercises.
The forward-thinking approach to the middle school’s focus on
character-building skills in students was a collaboration with the
district and Diane MacDonald, a holistic educator and the founder of
Port Jefferson-based It Takes a Village.
The program’s strategies helped participants to recognize symptoms of
anger, stress, anxiety and frustration and how to alleviate reactive
behaviors to them. It also helped to cultivate self-esteem, confidence
and an awareness of their emotional health and well-being.