Merrillville, IN: Elementary school uses mindfulness "where children learn calming techniques"

Jan 20, 2018, Chicago Tribune: Merrillville school hopes to see suspensions drop with new meditation offering http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-merrillville-miller-elementary-mindfulness-st-0122-20180121-story.html Any kid can have a bad day. Rather than sending misbehaving children straight to the principal's office, a Merrillville elementary school is teaching basic meditation techniques looking to smooth out the bad days. In August, Miller Elementary School, 5901 Waite St., started a pilot program to build a "mindfulness room" where children learn the calming techniques. A sparsely furnished former classroom — it is filled with yoga mats and a large-scale coloring book sheet children can use to help soothe their emotions and improve their focus for class. For 10 minutes on Thursday, nearly 20 second-grade students laid flat on yoga mats, going through guided meditation. … For a student having a rough day, many are referred to the room for individualized attention, using breathing techniques to calm down then return to class, she said. … Merrillville schools have also implemented a technique called, "restorative practice" where students often sit in a circle and talk out their emotions, Blaszczyk said…. The Merrillville Education Foundation awarded the school a $700 grant for the room this year....