HIGHLAND SPRINGS, Va. -- In yoga, the word "namaste" directly translates to "the divine in me bows to the divine in you."
That's a good way to describe how PE Teacher Lucy Trott treats her students. Trott has been a teacher for 38 years.
"PE has changed a lot," Ms. Trott said. "When I first started you roll a ball out, make sure they're happy, teach them how to play basketball."
Lucy Trott/PE Teacher
But now she's part of something relatively new at Highland Springs Elementary.
“Now, we're teaching everything: fitness concepts, why you do this, why you do that, mindfulness, taking care of yourself," she explained.
In 2017 Highland Springs Elementary got a new name and a unique educational program: An Achievable Dream Academy.
Students learn important life skills that include: ethics, etiquette, peaceful conflict resolution, and healthy living.
Ms. Trott uses old school love and learning with new techniques to help kids achieve their best.
"When you get a rebound, what do you do? You can try again. And if someone tells you that you can't do it, don't accept that. Get up and try again. If you fail, get up and try again," she said.
"It's amazing," school interventionist Abby Abielmona said. “She knows every single kid. She knows their stories. She knows their parents. She just connects with them."
Programs work, but you must have the teachers to really make them succeed.
That's Building Better Minds.
