By Julie Aylward Dance, soccer, hockey, homework, and chores are just a few of the activities our students face when they leave school at 3:45pm. We all live in a fast paced world. Going here, going there and going everywhere. It is important that we teach our children to slow down and learn to breathe. Students need to learn to calm their busy minds and find a moment of peace in our fast paced society. Closing their eyes, breathing deeply through the nostrils, and exhaling deeply will bring oxygen to their brains and bloodstream to help them think better, perform better and be their best in all situations. Students in upper elementary are learning to let go and relax while enjoying a warm cup of herbal tea. Students are learning to use this practice throughout the day using the MindUp curriculum which is brain focussed strategies for learning and was founded by Goldie Hawn. Each Friday, in Language and Literature, before we begin our vocabulary testing, students will be taking time to learn the power of their breath. They will learn how to relax when feeling stressed and most importantly learn how to slow down. This helps them to perform their best before a test. “One conscious breath - in and out - is a meditation.” Eckhart Tolle