Local seventh and eighth graders recently explored health and happiness through mindfulness and social-emotional learning during a Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program workshop.
Sherri Spina, a social-emotional learning/mindfulness consultant, guided participants in a hands-on workshop that focused on creating a mindfulness tool belt with strategies and techniques to develop social and emotional competencies and improve overall mental and physical well-being through experiential learning, Herkimer BOCES Honors Program Coordinator Deborah Schoff said.
“The participants were engaged throughout the entire program,” Schoff said. “Spina used a variety of teaching methods and related well to the students. She quickly created a learning environment that made students feel comfortable and confident enough to practice the skills taught.”
Students from the school districts of Central Valley, Dolgeville, Herkimer, Little Falls, Owen D. Young and Poland participated in the workshop on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center.
“Students particularly enjoyed the make-and-take tools and working together to reteach skills and strategies learned throughout the day,” Schoff said. “At the close of the workshop, students could easily identify at least one strategy that worked for them.”
The Herkimer BOCES Honors Program is open to students in Herkimer BOCES component school districts and is designed to support the potential of students in grades 3-12 who have above average interests and abilities in a particular area. Programs allow for interaction with like-minded peers. Students learn by engaging in educational activities with presenters who are noted in their field. Exploration and programs provide for different learning styles and include topics in the arts and sciences as well as literature and history. Ongoing evaluation of all programs by teachers and students assures their relevance and quality.
Sherri Spina (sitting on the floor), a social-emotional learning/mindfulness consultant, leads local students in an activity during a Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program workshop on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center.
Sherri Spina (standing), a social-emotional learning/mindfulness consultant, leads local students in an activity during a Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program workshop on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center.
Sherri Spina (standing), a social-emotional learning/mindfulness consultant, leads local students in an activity during a Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program workshop on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center.
Sherri Spina, a social-emotional learning/mindfulness consultant, poses with her setup at a Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program workshop on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center.
Local seventh and eighth graders participate in an activity during a Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program workshop on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center.
