Hermosa Beach school program calm minds, earns praise
Students in Hillary Overbeck’s kindergarten class at Hermosa View practice mindful breathing after recess. Photo
A boy in first grade gets over excited on the playground, and gets called into the office.
It happens in schools everywhere. But not in every school is a six-year-old student asked whether he was relying too much on his amygdala, and not enough on his prefrontal cortex.
Such is life Hermosa View School, where an innovative program is educating students about the mind, and teaching them how to use it to improve well-being.
The program, known as MindUP, has received accolades from students, parents and educators, and is currently under consideration for the prestigious California Gold Ribbon Schools Award. Evaluators from the state department of education visited the school last Friday, and a decision is expected by the beginning of April.
“Students are learning how the brain works, learning how to use their brains to calm their bodies,” said View School Principal Sylvia Gluck.
The core practice of the program is mindful breathing, said kindergarten teacher Hillary Overbeck, who helps lead the implementation of the program at View. Several times per day, a chime will ring acting as a “focal point” for students. The class will sit together, taking deep breaths in and out. After a few minutes, the chime rings again, and traditional instruction recommences.
“It’s amazing how much you can hear during those times,” Overbeck said. “The practice helps to really center their minds, to calm them down.”
The school implemented the program in 2011. It came about in response to a survey the school distributed to students about issues that were personal, rather than academic. Youngsters reported feeling safe on campus, but sought help controlling their minds.
Help designing the program came from the Beach Cities Health District, which has subsequently implemented it in other elementary schools in the area. Kerianne Lawson, BCHD’s director of lifespan services, said the program gives children a way to express the swirl of emotions that sometimes boils over into misbehavior.
“We sometimes say to kids, ‘Oh, settle down.’ Well, what does that mean?” Lawson said. “We have to teach our kids to be conversant in how they are feeling. The program provides a framework for kids in how they’re feeling.”
Since implementing the program, rates for suspension and office visits at View have declined even from the relatively low levels reported before 2011.
“It helps them take on another student’s perspective,” Gluck said. “They learn how to use it throughout the day: when they’re sad, when they’re frustrated, when they’re angry.”
The MindUP program originated with the foundation of actress Goldie Hawn, and is the result of neuroscience research showing significant academic and personal improvements from mindful breathing. The curriculum has been designed to provide View students with a complete course from kindergarten to second grade, then a more advanced version in third grade.
The lesson sets in quickly. During a Friday afternoon after recess, one of the most difficult times to manage the energy of young students, Overbeck’s kindergarteners calmly filed in and took their seats. A pre-arranged “student of the day” got to strike the chime.
Even Overbeck is surprised by how thoroughly students have internalized the ritual.
“I could stay out on the playground after lunch, and the students would come in, sit down and mindfully breathe,” Overbeck said. “And then I could walk in and they would say, ‘Good afternoon, Mrs. Overbeck.”
After finishing their mindful breathing, students said the program was one of their favorite parts of the day.
“I like that it makes me calm,” said one boy.
Students are not the only ones enjoying the program. Parent-education nights on the program are among the most popular district offerings. And for the BCHD, the lessons of MindUP have equal applicability for parents.
“We know from our well-being index that stress, worry and anger are a big deal for adults in this community,” Lawson said. “Sometimes we see kids pick up things to worry about that they don’t need to be worried about.”
At View, MindUP is integrated into many parts of the curriculum. The school’s garden and nutrition program focus on “mindful” eating. And students have measured their heartbeats before and after a mindful breathing exercise. Not surprisingly, they registered a healthy drop.
Staff are encouraged by results like these, and are keeping their fingers crossed that the state will give the program some recognition.
“It’s a celebration of the good practices we have at our schools,” Gluck said. “It’s satisfying to see everything come to fruition, especially when it’s tied to to academic success as well as emotional well-being.”