Incorporating Mindfulness into Early Education
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- Written by: Sue Tolchin and Rebecca Roseman
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Daily life is busy and who couldn’t use a minute to pause and take a breath? Like the old adage, we should stop and smell the roses, at Westchester Reform Temple’s Early Childhood Center, we are teaching kids to do just that. By practicing Mindfulness, they are stopping to smell the metaphoric roses.
Teachers at Westchester Reform Temple’s Early Childhood Center are trained in teaching the practice of Mindfulness, to pay attention to life here and now with kindness and curiosity. “Our goal is to help children have the ability to feel centered in a sometimes chaotic world,” says Sue Tolchin, ECC Director. “Children are introduced to simple breathing activities in circle time. They have fun with a ‘Hoberman Sphere,’ a multicolored ball that can be manipulated to expand and contract and encourages children to breathe in and out. According to ECC Assistant Director Rebecca Roseman, “These practices are beneficial to young children, as well as adults, to help with self-regulation.”
Both Sue and Rebecca, along with their staff, have found that this type of training and practice has helped children become calm, grounded and ready to learn. The teachers love incorporating Mindfulness techniques into daily classroom life.
Here are some examples of how mindfulness is incorporated into the curriculum for each age group:
"The chime rings, we all hear and feel that familiar sound. We stop what we are doing, put our hands on both our heart and belly, breathe a deep breath and maybe for a second close our eyes. We become aware of that silence and breath and for that moment we become one, relaxed and calm, we are ready to learn and begin our day, mindful of everyone and ourselves."
-From the teachers of the Fours
"We use the Hoberman Sphere as a breathing tool when we come back in from outside to calm ourselves. We pretend we are blowing up a balloon and then popping it. The class loves to watch it expand and contract. We take turns using it and “blowing up balloons."
-From the teachers of the Twos
"We love to read Belly Breathe by Leslie Kimmelman and pretend to be different animals to control our breathing, like flapping our bird wings or raising our elephant trunks."
-From the teachers of the Threes
SYSC U9 Girls Team Wins Columbus Day Tournament
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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The Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club team Pride (U9 girls team) won the Landsdowne Yonkers Field Club Columbus Day tournament on October 13.
(Photo Credit: Nicole Lemerond)
October Beehive
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- Written by: Midori Im
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How many common words of 5 or more letters can you spell using the letters in the hive? Every answer must use the center letter at least once. Letters may be reused in a word. At least one word will use all 7 letters.
Proper names and hyphenated words are not allowed.
Score 1 point for each answer, and 3 points for each word that contains all 7 letters.
Rating: 18 = Good, 23 = Excellent, 27 = Genius
(see the answers below)
Answers:
alliance, alpaca, apiece, appliance (3 points), cancel, canine, cilia, clean, clinic, clinical, clini- cian, icicle, incline, lance, lenience, niece, palace, panacea, panic, peace, pecan, penance, pic- nic, piece, pinnacle (3 points), place.
If you found other legitimate dictionary words in the beehive, feel free to include them in your score.
Scarsdale Teens Cycle to Raise Awareness and Funds
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100 Miles to Raise Awareness About Climate Change
Jack Porter with supporters Adam Wasserman, Emmett Goldstein, and Michael Waxman. One bike, one kid, and 100 miles for climate change awareness. Jack Porter, a junior at Scarsdale High School, went above and beyond on Friday September 27 to raise awareness for the pressing issue of global warming. While most kids opted to participate in the school’s climate change walkout organized by Junior Class President, Michael Waxman which in his words focused on, “capturing our message that SHS students care about climate change and want to see a transition into a renewable energy economy in the future.” However, Jack wanted to do even more to spread the word of global warming. As a result, Jack devoted 17 hours of his day on Friday to bike 100 miles.
Although, in the beginning, Porter wasn’t reaching all of targeted destinations in his desired time, with the support of friend’s Emmett Goldstein, Michael Waxman, Sam Scheffler, and Adam Wasserman, Jack soon was back onto course. Jack was continually motivated “to raise support for the climate change walkout and push the limits.”
Like many other students around the world, Jack, understands the grave dangers of global warming. His bike route spanned Bronxville to the Kensico Dam supplemented by many laps around the high school track. He was able to track his progress through his Garmin running watch and the Garmin connect app.
How can the rest of us take action to help raise awareness for global warming? Jack suggests, “Petitioning local government and congressmen to support climate action, not driving with one person in a three-ton SUV and supporting clean energy sources like nuclear.” Jack believes with, “Support from first world governments and investments, nuclear fusion could be functional and effective in a few years,” which is a, “real key to solving all our environmental problems.”
Cycling for White Plains Hospital Family Health Center
Several Scarsdale teenagers and members of the Junior Friends of White Plains Hospital (WPH) sweated and cycled their way to raising funds to benefit White Plains Hospital Family Health Center on September 22.
Spearheaded by Charlotte Meyers, 17, president of the Scarsdale High School Junior Friends of WPH, the fundraiser drew 23 cyclists to the Flywheel Sports cycling studio in Scarsdale. The teens raised nearly $1500 in support of local healthcare.
The students are members of the Junior Friends of White Plains Hospital and work closely with their adult counterparts in the Friends of White Plains Hospital. The mission of these groups is to raise awareness, provide volunteer services, and raise money for valuable Hospital programs.
The Family Health Center, which opened in a new location in June, provides preventive, primary care, and specialty services to families and children living in White Plains and surrounding neighborhoods.
(Pictured from left to right: Jennifer Farfel, Eileen Meyers, Charlotte Meyers, Jayden Cyzner, Tara Bleustein, Bonni Bleustein.)
Eagle Scout Builds Outdoor Fitness Stations at SHS
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A Scarsdale High Senior who is also a gifted runner and a boy scout has realized his dream to construct three outdoor fitness stations next to the Scarsdale High School track.
The work began two years ago when Ward Bandsma was a sophomore at Scarsdale High School and contemplating his project to earn him the designation of Eagle Scout. In collaboration with his track coach Richard Clark, Ward envisioned the installation of three fitness stations to be used by both students, sports teams and community members as an outdoor gym to be used free of charge. Each station would facilitate a variety of exercises.
Working with Recreation Department Supervisor Brian Gray, Bandsma selected three stations from PlayWorld for an estimated cost of more than $11,000 plus miscellaneous expenses for freight, wood chips, railroad ties and signage. He then embarked on an ambitious fundraising campaign to come up with the budget to install the equipment.
He started with requests to both the schools and the Village who both turned him down. He made presentations to Recreation Department head Brian Gray and Assistant to the Village Manager Josh Ringel but was unsuccessful at securing the funds. He met and presented the plan to SHS Principal Ken Bonamo and wrote a detailed project proposal for Athletic Director Ray Pappalardi who presented it to sports booster organization Maroon and White, again with no success. Finally he turned to the Scarsdale School Education Foundation and the Scarsdale Foundation who ultimately granted him $4,500 and $2,500 respectively.
Looking for further funding and grants, Bandsma went online and launched a campaign on Go Fund Me where he raised another $5,090 which made it possible for him to move forward.
Rather than hire a company to install the equipment, Bandsma recruited his fellow scouts to dig holes, assemble equipment, level the equipment, mix and pour cement, rake and install wood chips. This work was done on December 15 and 16, 2018. He estimated that the labor to install the three stations would have cost $7,500.
On September 2, 2019 Bandsma’s accomplishment was recognized at the Eagle Court of Honor Ceremony attended by troop members, his family and 
State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. He received his Eagle Scout pin from Scoutmaster Ed Connolly while his parents, grandparents and family looked on.
It was a proud day for Ward’s family, marking a wonderful contribution to the Scarsdale community.
Brian Bandsma, Scoutmaster Ed Connolly and Ward Bandsma at the Eagle Court of Honor ceremony.
