Welcome to the classroom!

This weekly newsletter will be a

preview of current events, upcoming
events, and the topic of the month
which is Mindfulness, a great teaching
practice that we use in our classroom
and that you can use at home as well

Upcoming Events

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a popular practice

that is used in many school districts
and classrooms all over the world.
The definition is defined as The
psychological capacity to stay
willfully present with ones
experiences, with a nonjudgmental accepting attitude,
engendering a warm and friendly
openness and curiosity (Zenner,
Kurz, Walach, 2014).

Quote of the week

Whether you think you can or
think you cant; either way you
are right-Henry Ford

Goal of the Week

Hold the door open for somebody or give
somebody a friendly high-five!
Remember that it costs nothing to be
respectful, so go out and make someones
day brighter, I know you can do it

According to research, Mindfulness

can be thought about and divided
up into three different axioms
which are intention, attention, and
attitude (Albrecht, Cohen, 2012).
Each week a new mindfulness
practice that we are using in our
classroom that is connected to
these three axioms will be
communicated through the
newsletters!

Stay tuned and make sure to check

out the upcoming weekly
newsletters for more mindfulness
information, techniques, and
resources!

Class Field Trip on November 9th To

Apple Orchard- More information to
follow in the upcoming week
Please bring in a picture or pictures
of your family if you have not done so
for our collage in the classroom
Our reading goal for this month is to
reach 50 books for the class! Please
keep filling out those logs and
bringing them back in to keep our
class count updated!

Purpose of Quote & Goal of the week

Our topic of the month is mindfulness, and along with this topic comes the important
aspects of motivation, respect, and individuality. Every week someone will have the
chance to submit their own quote of the week, as well as a goal they would like the
classroom to try and reach. Everyone will have a chance to participate and share their
favorite ideas!

References:

Zenner, C., Herrenleben-Kurz, S., Walach, H. (2012). Mindfulness-based interventions in

schools- a systematic review and meta0analysis. 5 (603) (1-20).

Albercht, N.J., Albrecht, P.M., Cohen,M.(2012). Mindfully teaching in the classroom: a literature review.
Australian journal of teacher education, 37 (12), 1-13.

Why do we need Mindfulness?

Upcoming Events

MBIs which are Mindful Behavior

Interventions have skyrocketed in research in
the last decade, especially in the education field.
From research collected, children with ADHD
and at risk adolescents who integrated
mindfulness practices into their daily routine
had a decrease in depression and anxiety, while
their academic success increased (Zenner, 2014).

The Apple Orchard field trip

th.
is November 16 The cost
is 5 dollars. We will be gone
from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm,
bagged lunch is required.
Family chaperones are
welcome, please fill out the
permission slip and return
by this Friday.

Thanksgiving break is
th
th
November 25 -30 .

Quote of the week

Shared by Alex R.

This information is both exciting and beneficial

lkj powerful and important
since it shows how
mental health is in everyday life and success for
children. The goal of the activities we will do in
our classroom is to ensure that all children are
learning in a positive learning environment where
they are able to thrive and succeed in all areas of
development.

Think like a proton and stay

positive

Mindfulness in our classroom

According to Zenner (2014), Formal education
should always consider the mental health and
balance of children. A growing body of research
shows that academic achievement, social and
emotional competence and physical and mental
health are fundamentally and multiply
interrelated. The best and most efficient way to
foster any of those is to foster all of them.
Mindfulness practices allow for academic success
to flourish. Mental health is just as important as
physical health, both which help to foster
academic success. The purpose of mindfulness is
to not only help every student reach their
potential, but to instill positive and healthy
practices that will last a lifetime.

Morning journal entries

Goal of the week

The students work on bell work and

start their day off by writing down
one or two things they are
thankful/grateful for.

I write down on the board the

educational goals for the day, and
the students write down ways they
will work hard to achieve these
goals.

This practice fits into the intention

aspect of the three mindfulness
axioms (intention, attention, and
attitude), since the students are
writing down and intending ways
they will reach their goals for that
day.

Shared by Alex R.
Write down something you are
grateful in your writing journal or do
five pushups when you wake up and
before you go to bed.

References:
Zenner, C., Herrenleben-Kurz, S., Walach, H. (2012). Mindfulness-based
interventions in schools- a systematic review and meta0analysis. 5 (603)
(1-20).

Upcoming Events
Benefits of Mindfulness

Research done by the Mindful

Schools (a non-profit organization
that began in 2007 whose purpose
is to help inform educators and
schools all around the world about
mindfulness) shows the benefits of
mindfulness practices in the
classroom. The results from a
research survey from educators
who went through the program are
outlined below:

1. 94 percent saw more

improved focus in
students.
2. 96 percent saw better
emotional regulation.
3. 86 percent saw more
compassion.
4. 57 percent saw
improved grades.
The benefits outlined above show
some of the great outcomes of
teaching what mindfulness is to
students, teaching them how to
use practices in school for their
academic success, and how to use
mindfulness in all other aspects of
the real world and their lives!

References:
1.

Mindful Schools. (2010-2015). Retrieved

from http://www.mindfulschools.org/

No school this Friday

due to conferences

Please sign the

conference slip sent
home with the students
so time slots can be
confirmed

Quote of the week

Shared by Hailey H.
Never give up on a dream just

because of the time it will take

to accomplish it, the time will
pass anyway

Mindfulness in our classroom

Afternoon Journal

Before the end of the day,

the students go back and
review their morning
journal entry to see if they
met their goals.

If they did, they reflect on

what they specifically did to
reach these goals, and if
they did not they write
down what they can do to
improve success.

This practice fits into the

intention aspect of the
three mindfulness axioms
since it again is having
students evaluate their
work and make an intention
for further success.

Goal of the week

Shared by Hailey H.
Introduce yourself to somebody
you havent talked to before or
pick up three pieces of trash you
see on the ground today.

Mindfulness outside of the

classroom

Upcoming Events

Breathing exercises/body
awareness

-Mindfulness Teachers website

(http://www.mindfulteachers.org/p/abou
t-me.html) provides many resources,
videos, and suggestions for daily
mindfulness practice. One way you can
incorporate breathing exercises at home
is the Time to Breathe exercise. I will
provide the link below which will take you
through step by step directions on how to
do a simple breathing exercise at home.

Quote of the week

Shared by Jacob B.

Mindfulness in our classroom

Breathing exercises

http://www.mindfulteachers.org/201
5/04/time-to-breathe-awareness-ofpresent.html

- The main points of breathing

exercises to remember and focus on
are

1.
2.
3.
4.

Think
Feel
Act
Be

I encourage you and your children to

practice these exercises at home, and
also focus on the four points above
while doing the exercises. We have
been talking about the four points
above in the classroom, so talking
about these four points at home
would be a great review for your
children! Let me know if you have any
questions or want more information
and resources
References: Hannay, C. (2012-2015). Mindful
Teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.mindfulteachers.org/p/free-resourcesand-lesson-plans.html

Its a good day to have a good

day

Thanksgiving break is
November 24th-30th.
Remember that only
one more week to
complete the reading
logs!
Have a fun and safe
break

Goal of the week

The students watched a five

minute breathing exercise on
how to calm down and come
back to the present moment in
times of distress or anxiety.
Students also practice
individually in our Breathing
Break corner of the classroom
where they can go to de-stress
or cool down during the day.

Shared by Jacob B.
Clean up something at school or
at home without being asked to,
or do a breathing exercise before
you go to bed.

Students are encouraged to

deep breathe before
assessments, presentations, or
moments of anxiousness. This
practice fits into the attention
aspect out of the three
mindfulness axioms because it
allows students to focus their
attention on their breathing
and the present moment.

Upcoming Events
Mindfulness outside of the
classroom

We reached our 50 book

reading goal for the
month of November. We
will be having a pajama
day on December 4th to
celebrate-Great reading!

Our goal for December is

going to be 60 books. I
believe with hard work
we can reach our new
goal!

The Five Senses & Reflection

Quote of the week
Five senses: The five senses log
activity provides a chart for you to fill
out that has you focus on each of the
five senses every day and write down
aspects of your day in the appropriate
column. After you fill in the five
senses for the day, take time to
reflect and appreciate on all of the
amazing things your five senses
provides for you! I encourage
students to bring in their charts if they
did them at home with families to
share out with the class. This also
connects and correlates with our
science lesson this week as we are
focusing on our five senses in this
domain as well.

(http://www.mindfulteachers.org/2014/12/fiv
e-senses-mindfulness-log.html)

Shared by Alexis C.
Happiness can be found, even in
the darkest of times, if one only
remembers to turn on the light

Mindfulness in our classroom

Respect Rug

Goal of the week

Shared by Alexis C.

References
2.

Albercht, N.J., Albrecht, P.M., Cohen,M.(2012).

Mindfully teaching in the classroom: a literature
review. Australian journal of teacher education, 37
(12), 1-13.

3.

Hannay, C. (2012-2015). Mindful Teachers. Retrieved

from http://www.mindfulteachers.org/p/freeresources-and-lesson-plans.html

4.

Mindful Schools. (2010-2015). Retrieved from

http://www.mindfulschools.org/

5.

Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz, S., Walach, H. (2012).

Mindfulness-based interventions in schools- a
systematic review and meta0analysis. 5 (603) (1-20).

Fill out the five senses chart and

bring it back to school or teach
someone about the five senses
at home.

At the beginning of every

week the student of the
week shares their quote
and goal with the class.
The students also work
on and present skits
about showing respect to
others.
This practice is related to
the attitude aspect of
the three axioms of
mindfulness. The
students gain a sense of
having a positive attitude
by focusing on positive
quotes and goals for
themselves, as well as
learning about positive
attitudes in the
presentations of their
skits.