By Bari Cohn
Staff Writer
Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District will implement the MindUP! program, a mindful awareness training for all elementary school teachers.
According to MBUSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Matthews, MindUP! is a national program that shows teachers how to help students reduce stress levels that advanced curriculums cause amongst students.
“There are several social, emotional and physical benefits for students that come from this program,” Grand View Elementary teacher Kylie Duncan said. “It is very important for students to learn how to assess their own feelings while also understanding how to regulate emotions, handle stress and face new obstacles.”
The program will instruct teachers on how to send positive messages to their students through daily five to 10-minute lessons, while connecting it to Common Core curriculum. The teachers attended workshops in May and June that were individualized for each grade level.
“We are currently trying to figure out how the District can start the program in middle and high school,” Matthews said. “It will be more challenging to implement it for older students, but it’s something we want to do in the future. We strongly believe this will lessen the high stress levels of our students.”
Leave a Reply