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[Newark, NJ – August 31, 2017] This week, Newark Public Schools (NPS), in partnership with the Newark Yoga Movement (NYM), hosted a staff development (SD) for teachers and administrators at 8 schools in Newark. The SD was focused on wellness of the mind, body and spirit and provided tools for school staff (administrators and teachers) to learn and apply breathing and calming techniques in school and in their daily lives. The SD took place at 8 different Newark district schools; West Side High School, Camden, Cleveland, 14th Avenue, George Washington Carver, Hawkins Street, NJ Regional Day and Rafael Hernandez schools and included administrators and staff. According to the Newark Yoga Movement (NYM), over 400 staff members were trained over the course of the week, including students and staff at George Washington Carver School.

The SD provided staff members with tools to self-soothe and self-regulate themselves to get them ready to better serve their students. Christopher N. Cerf, NPS Superintendent of Schools said, “The benefits of offering yoga to both administration and staff are many, which is why NPS has worked with NYM since 2009 and is now extending the NYM program to more schools in the district and to the administrative arm of teaching and learning.”

Debbie Kaminsky, founder of Newark Yoga Movement said she is honored to be the recipient of these unique micro grants from NPS to provide yoga to students and administrators. She stated, “Teaching students to breathe and relax as they learn is a great step forward in education and in social and emotional learning.”

The Newark Yoga Movement will be teaching yoga and its related properties and benefits to 9 schools this year. More than 500 students at Sussex Avenue Renew School learned yoga as a way to reduce stress, help them concentrate and remain calm in different situations according to school administrators.

Newark Yoga Movement team has been meeting with school leaders and tailoring yoga programs that fills their school needs. According to Ms. Kaminsky, many of the schools are looking to yoga to help give children dealing with behavioral issues a leg up through gaining additional tools. She said one school has added the important parent component and children with special needs will also be receiving yoga in several schools especially for the self-soothing/self-regulating benefits and beginning in September at one school, Newark Yoga Movement will be teaching yoga to both children who are deaf or blind.