POM COMMUNITY NEWS

We're very excited to share our new video

In our focus groups, we heard that many of you would like materials to introduce Peace of Mind to your colleagues and families. We hope this video will help!  

Directed and produced by Leslie Jean, our new short, 8 minute film features voices from our Peace of Mind Community: educators, students, families and supporters talk about how Peace of Mind has impacted their school communities and their own lives.  How do their stories resonate with yours?  Let us know!

Virtual Community Circles conclude for this year

We held our final Virtual Community Circle for this year on May 18th.  Two groups of educators from around the world have been meeting monthly since the beginning of this school year, finding support in guided mindfulness practice and conversations about teaching Peace of Mind and advocating for mindfulness in schools.  Thank you to all those who showed up each month to create our Circles and to Jelena Popovic and Dave Trachtenberg for their skilled, supportive facilitation.  We loved it all!

Here are just a few reflections on this year from our educators:

“I really look forward to this time of growth and working together. This experience is not something I would have had without the VCCs. A great experience!”

“The VCCs helped me to slow down and gain confidence, build community, and engage in challenging, nuanced conversations with other educators.”
 

“I have a broader understanding of what mindfulness is and how to incorporate it into my classroom.”
 

Interested?  We will be launching another round of Virtual Community Circles in September.  If you would like to join a Circle, please let us know!

Community gratitude: Thank you!

Thanks to a very generous community member who stepped forward with a gift of $10,000 and many other kind and generous donors, we've nearly made our goal of $25,000 for our Spring Fundraising Campaign - only $1,800 to go.  Such wonderful news! 

If you haven't yet had time to give but would like to, it's not too late to support children's well-being and the teaching of mindfulness as a foundation for connection, conflict resolution and social justice in our schools.  Donate here. 

Big thank you to Shawn Donnelly, our fabulous emcee for our recent Community Fundraiser, and to all those who shared their stories: Marleigh McKay, Gigi Gonyea, Jackie Snowden, Chapin Springer, and the beautiful Peace of Mind students from Lafayette Elementary School.  Watch the highlights of the event here! 
 

MONTHLY MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Taking a pause

The world is a lot lately.  In the final weeks of this school year, don't forget to take a pause now and then to breathe and re-set. We'd like to suggest Gravity Hands.  Peace of Mind students (and teachers!) love this mindful breathing practice.  Next time you feel the need to calm your nervous system and re-connect mind and body, try it out!   

Find this practice and more on our website:   https://teachpeaceofmind.org/mindfulness-videos/

WHAT'S NEW IN THE SHOP

Marleigh is Here and School Mental Health Professional Bundles are available, too!

We're excited that Marleigh is Mindful has at last arrived! We hope you love our newest book, a how-to guide for kids about how to use mindfulness to take care of big emotions.  Marleigh is a helpful classroom resource and a wonderful book for families to share at home.  Order through our website or on Amazon. 
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If you are a counselor or social worker planning for the year ahead, we have a bundle for you! This bundle includes all of the Peace of Mind resources you will need for PreK-Grade 8, at a 10% discount.  Find out more here!

TAKE ACTION

Learn more about implementing mindfulness in schools

Are you looking for resources to share with colleagues about the value of mindfulness in schools?  The UK Mindfulness Initiative has just published a treasure of a report: "Implementing Mindfulness in Schools: An Evidence-Based Guide."   It's worth a read! 

Download a free copy from their website here.

From their site: "The guide aims to be a key resource for all teachers, educators ...interested in implementing mindfulness within their schools. It covers what mindfulness is (including the neuroscience behind it), the evidence-base and the outcomes of mindfulness in schools for both students and teachers, and the key practical considerations around successfully implementing an ethical and sustainable mindfulness programme within a school setting."    Read and share!
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Virtual Community Circles - School year 2021-2022
• Community of Practice Gatherings - Fall 2021 and Spring 2022
• The Annual Peace of Mind Conference - January 2022