GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Students at Washington Middle School now have a special room that helps them refocus to get through the day.
The mindfulness room is part of the school plan to help prevent the school from becoming what was described last year a toxic environment due to behavior of students.
Bean bags, swivel chairs, and even a couch are just a few things inside what students know as the Mindfulness Room.
“This space really provides a resource for students so that they can get themselves recentered,” Cindy Olson, Washington Middle School principal.
Student Rileigh Opshal says she uses the room to calm down and get back to class.
“It is an important space to me. I come here when I feel angry or stressed. My favorite thing to do is sit on the spinning chairs and draw on the whiteboards. Having access to this room helps me cool down and get back to class.”
Trevonte Hood says one aspect helps him.
“I use the mindfulness space to calm down and take breaks. My favorite thing to do is to sit in the bean bag chair with the weighted blanket.”
Olson says last month 136 of the 766 students used the room to eliminate stress or to calm down after situations arise.
“One of the things that’s changed is our constant message to students about expectations in the hallway, in the classroom, how they treat each other, how they treat adults. The other thing that’s changed is us communicating out the importance of that with each other and together as a school to make sure that students needs are met.”
Olson says students can access the room if they feel it is necessary and the room is always supervised.
The room’s made possible by $30,000-worth of donations.
