Dimensions of Wellness

by Dr. Kenzo Bergeron, Director of Teaching and Learning

This school year, Village is purposefully focusing on wellness practices to equip our students, their families, and our faculty and staff with strategies to carry them through times of both stress and ease. Undoubtedly, there is harmony found in shared purpose, which is why we are committed to our yearlong theme, Be Well, and our Dimensions of Wellness Initiative.

top: Ashley Hawkins, creator of “The Hawk Method,” has been working with Village students and staff to teach her integrative practice of dance, fitness, and yoga. bottom: Second grade students work with Hawkins to practice yoga.

Much of the early success of the year-long focus on wellness hinges on the collaboration between our phenomenal Physical Education and Wellness team and Ashley Hawkins. Ashley is the creator of “The Hawk Method,” an integrative practice that combines dance and fitness with yoga therapy.

Ashley believes in allowing students to explore being present in the moment through patient, safe, and gentle guidance. Moreover, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to co-create a mindfulness practice specific to Village School, noting, “The seeds we are planting [for Village students] will continue to blossom, and they can use this as an application for all they do.” In conversation about her practice and navigating the tensions of the contemporary moment, Ashley said that it feels like a literal Village of people are waking up and saying, “this is how I want to live and how I want to be in the world.”

Perhaps things have been accelerated by the Pandemic, but wellness practitioners like Ashley describe the shifting focus from productivity to vulnerability. Ashley believes this encourages a renewed focus on preventative measures that she believes are important and should be incorporated into school curricula from a wellness perspective. “More than anything, I want students to feel empowered that they have the personal capacity to choose to be and live well.”

We are so lucky to reap the benefits of Ashley’s teachings and are excited about the profound impact it will have on our school, its programs, and the wider community. ▼

Kindergarten Parent Nousha Salimi teaches Kindergarten students mantras to refocus their breathing during a mindfulness and meditation session.

Kindergarten Meditation

by Jordan Levine, Kindergarten Teacher

“I am a kind friend,” whispered 13 little exhaling voices. They took another deep breath in and again out came, “I am a kind friend.” Parent Nousha Salimi (Rumi, KL) gave the students this mantra during our first mindfulness and meditation session. Even at the young ages of five and six, children reap the benefits of finding their center, embracing stillness, and refocusing their breathing. Honing these skills at a young age helps our students through moments of frustration while working, peer negotiation, and big feelings.

During our sessions with Nousha, Kindergarteners also closed their eyes while clutching crystals to channel healing energy and love to the people in their lives. Children are the center of their universe at this age, and it takes regular practice to orient themselves as a part of a bigger community. By taking a moment to reflect on the needs of others, students strengthen their empathy and recognize their impact on the wider world.