Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.
Issue link: https://loumag.epubxp.com/i/891238
LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 11.17 51 20 fifth-graders crisscrossing their legs as they settle onto 20 blue yoga mats. "Find your anchors," Mattingly instructs in a patient, low voice, placing one hand on her heart and the other on her stom- ach. Her students do the same. "We're going to notice if our mind wanders away from what we're doing, then gently bring it back," she says. Most students breathe calmly, eyes closed. A few exaggerate, going from soldier on inhale to ragdoll on exhale, shoulder blades subtly flapping under polo shirts. "Today we're going to talk about self-awareness," Mattingly says. Constants exist in all CSP rooms, including Mattingly's. A poster of a frog (the CSP mascot) smiling and touching his heart and belly — aka the body's "anchors" — is fixed to a wall. Pieces of paper with emotions written on them — mad, sad, happy — are taped around the room. Sometimes students will line up near the one they're feeling that day. Every teacher has a colorful ball that expands to the size of an exercise ball, representing a giant inhale. When crunched back down to the size of a basketball, it's a cue to let it all out. Teachers strike a bell. "When you can no longer hear the bell you can show me those beautiful smiles and we will begin," Mattingly says before striking a chime with a stick. Dingggggggg! Students snap eyes shut and listen, attempting to stay with the bell's ring until it dips to silence. e note hangs for 10, then 15 seconds. Eyes open. Mattingly confesses. "is morning I lost my keys and I (was thinking): Where did I put my keys?" she says. "But I realized I'm not listening to the bell." I've watched about ten classes in three different schools, and all lessons unfold with nutritive purpose. e bell is a practice in focus, returning to the sound of the bell even if the mind drifts away. A game of charades instructs children to act out a scenario that triggers a feeling, like fear. On this day, a boy in Mattingly's class pretends a dog is chasing him. A slight girl with a long puffy ponytail opens an The Compassionate Schools curriculum includes some activities you might find in traditional PE, like a tagging game.