Dear IACS Community,

This week’s Hawk letter is written by Wellness Educator, Donna Rucinksi Harrington. Donna shares insight into her work with students in our Yoga and Mindfulness classes.

Medical research showing the positive physical and mental health effects of Mindfulness grew naturally out of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program started by Jon Kabat-Zinn since it was founded right at Umass Medical in the 1970s. The abundance of data helps me when teaching teens about yoga and mindfulness, as teens are curious and like having reasons why they should do any activity. My hope is that the information I share with them will give them reasons to bring mindfulness into their day-to-day life, now and in the future and that the techniques will help them better deal with stress. The awareness alone that they are not their thoughts, they are beings who are thinking thoughts, can be a powerful help with troubling worries as they begin to develop a witness mindset.

Jon Kabat-Zinn defines Mindfulness as: “The awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” Deceptively simple as a concept, in practice, quieting our amygdala (the emotional center of the brain), and allowing our brains to rest, is harder than you might think.

In Yoga and Mindfulness classes, our activities are done with the goal of being in the moment. We practice through yoga, which is moving meditation, spending time in nature on our campus, or bringing our awareness to sensation with relaxing body scan and breathing meditations. And self-compassion is key, we return over and over to the current moment without judgement. Knowing our brains are wired to keep us on alert, we just work gently with it to give it a rest.

Combining both yoga and spending time in nature, this summer IACS constructed an outdoor yoga platform by the pond. I’m still pinching myself and trying to believe my luck at having this outdoor yoga space; I think IACS must be unique in having it for a school community. In the fall, students had a chance to enjoy yoga in the fresh air, in the shade and enjoying the breeze off the pond on a hot day. The staff also had a chance to experience yoga outside at our back-to-school training because there is much research supporting the potential stress-relieving aspects and improvement in classroom culture for teachers who participate in such activities. .

I’ve recently created a series of short mindfulness breaks for use by classroom teachers, but they can be used by anyone who would like to take a few moments to give mind and body a bit of a break. My goal was short, secular, and accessible to anyone. If you want to give them a try, links are below.

Sincerely,

Donna Rucinski Harrington

Donate Childrens’ and YA books at IACS

The Interact Club is wondering if you have any children’s books or YA Novels that are sitting around collecting dust. Donate to the Interact Club’s book drive and give kids something to read! The Interact Club will be donating the books to BookNooks as a part of Project Learn. BookNooks are bookshelves that are located in family-friendly places around Lowell, delivering free, new, and gently used books directly to kids in our community. The book drive will be running until March 13th. Books will be collected in boxes around the school. Boxes are located in the auditorium hallway, in front of the main office, in the cafeteria, and in the library. More information about book nooks can be found at https://www.projectlearninc.org/what_we_do/initiatives/book.html.

Questions? Contact Hope Coleman-Plourde at: hope.coleman-plourde@innovationcharter.org

On October 24, the High School music teachers took 48 High School Students, grades 9-12, from the Instrumental, Chorale, Introduction to Keyboard and Concert Choir classes to Boston’s Symphony Hall to see an open rehearsal of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This program was supported in part by grants from the Tyngsborough, Dracut and Chelmsford Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. VIA "Vision for Innovation Academy", IACS’s own 503c nonprofit fundraising group, successfully secured all three grants. VIA is welcoming new members! Please contact Laura Smith at lsmith@innovationcharter.org if interested.

Congratulations Daisy Garcia for winning the Nashoba Tubing basket!

Do you love College Basketball?

IACA is selling tickets for a UML Basketball game.

Game is Feb 8th at 4:00pm. Tickets are 6.00 plus fees. Click the link below to purchase tickets.

https://groupmatics.events/event/Innovationacademy7