This presentation was delivered to the staff of Nordonia City Schools at the 2018 Convocation to overview the Knighfulness program.

1. Knightfulness
BEING IN THE KNIGHT MIND

2. A Mindful Moment:
Reflections of the Summer

3. “
Our mental health and happiness
are profoundly shaped by
what we do with our attention.
- Richard Burnett
Classroom teacher & co-founder of the Mindfulness in Schools Project
3

5. ● Dr. Deb Wallace Community Intervention
● Zach Miley Prevention Specialist
● Mike Griffen Lee Eaton Assoc Principal
● Danielle Ricchino MS & Lee Eaton Counselor
● Courtney Wenzel High School Counselor
● Jacklyn Czekaj High School English Teacher
Knightfulness Team

6. Mindfulness:
“A technique in which one focuses one’s full attention only on the
present, experiencing thoughts, feelings, and sensations but not
judging them” (www.dictionary.com).
“Mindfulness can also be thought of as a state of mind or
existence. Psychology Today states that mindfulness means “living
in the moment and awakening to your current experience, rather
than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future”
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness).

7. Misconceptions
1. Mindfulness is the same thing as meditation
2. Mindfulness means taking a time out and
stopping what you’re doing to reduce stress
3. You have to do yoga and be a tree hugger to be
good at mindfulness
4. Practicing mindfulness is time consuming

8. ● Better ability to bounce back from distractions
● Increased productivity
● Increased working memory
● Increased attention span
● Decreases in anxiety and depressive symptoms
● Increased emotional regulation
● Less emotional reactivity
● Increased relationship satisfaction
● Numerous health benefits including increased immune
system functioning
Benefits of A Mindfulness Practice

9. Testimonials
“The benefits I have received by practicing mindfulness are: My stress level has been reduced, I
have more strategies to use when I am sad, angry, lonely, or anxious, and I have lost over 30
pounds by practicing mindful eating on a regular basis.”
“Like most people, I juggle many aspects of life and wear many hats. It’s easy to let the chaos
become overwhelming and stop me dead in my tracks. By incorporating mindfulness into my
daily life, I am able to be more focused and present for my students, my family, my friends, and
most importantly, myself.”
“By simply taking moments throughout the day to breathe deeply and to actually BE in the present
moment, I feel more compassionate and like I’m actually engaging in life’s experiences rather than
allowing them to completely overwhelm me.”
“By developing a mindfulness practice I’ve noticed that I am more present with my daughter, I
stop and enjoy little moments of laughter and joy, and I take notice of how my emotions are
impacting those around me. Simply stopping to take a deep breath every now and then has
reduced my frustration with work and life and helped me to be a better counselor, colleague, and
most importantly, mom.”

10. KNIGHTFULNESS
-Creating a culture of bringing awareness and care
into everything we do
-Observing thoughts and feelings without judgement
-Being fully present in the moment
https://knightfulness.weebly.com/

12. Students’ Reflections

13. Students’ Reflections

14. Students’ Reflections

15. “
Our mental health and happiness
are profoundly shaped by
what we do with our attention.
- Richard Burnett
Classroom teacher & co-founder of the Mindfulness in Schools Project
15