International Bowl Bound!

It's the big day! Today members of Project P.E.A.C.E. of Mind will embark on a plane to represent Mahwah High School and the State of New Jersey in the 2015 Future Problem Solving International Bowl. The competition will be held at Iowa State University!

We thought we would give you guys a sneak peak of what will be on display in Ames:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3usBoIwnxZkSGU0c2FnR1hSRW8/view?usp=sharing

The link above is a PowerPoint presentation that recaps our project in its entirety. The song that should play during the presentation is called Collide by Built by Titan and Jonathan Thulin.  Let us know what you guys think! 

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #18: Positive Reinforcement

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Tuesday! Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. Anyway, we are back with another “Mindful Tuesday” and on this segment, we are going to be talking about being rewarded or rewarding yourself after doing something great (in Mrs. Rosen’s psychology class, we call this positive reinforcement).  Positive reinforcers serve as a stimulus that fosters positive results. For example, if your mother makes your favorite dish when you get an A, you will be more inclined to push for that A because you want to have some more of your favorite dish! Even just a simple “good job,” or a pat on the back can go very far in preserving efficiency and making someone feel better about themselves. Try it, Mahwah!

With that being said, this will be the last Mindful Monday of the school year. It has been a pleasure sharing these mindfulness tips with you all. We cordially hope that you all can take something away from these tips and execute them into your everyday life. On behalf of the entire team, we thank you so much for your support. Have a great rest of the week and best of luck to all of you during final exams and in future endeavors!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #17: Confidence and Good Posture

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Monday! On this segment of “Mindful Monday,’ we are going to be talking about the correlation between good posture and confidence. Some people think the people who are confident and energetic are those who are enthusiastic in conversation and those who walk in a room looking self-assured. As it turns out, it works the other way as well: If you try to relax your shoulders, have good posture when sitting, and smile more in conversation, you will find that you feel more confident and more awake. Try it sometime, Mahwah!

Thank you, Mahwah, and have a great week!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/03/good-posture-benefits_n_5914018.html

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #16: Altering Perception of Stress

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Monday! On this segment of “Mindful Monday,” we are going to be talking about altering your mindset in regards to stress.What is your mood when you are faced with hardship? Some people may look upon their multiple essays and note-taking assignments and decide that being worried and stressed is a permanent fixture in their life. Sadly, this mindset will keep your emotions bottled up, which is never a good thing. Instead of seeing hardship as a permanent struggle, try to perceive hardship as temporary. It’s important to remember that nothing lasts forever and that in a short amount of time, some of these hardships will fade away. For example, AP tests start today. A very stressful time indeed, but will the stress still be present once it’s all over? Absolutely not.

By thinking this way, any negative emotions you feel will disappear over time.Just follow the words of writer and poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox: “Whatever comes, this too shall pass away.”

Thank you, Mahwah and good luck to those who are taking AP Exams. Remember to relax and breathe: you've made it this far in the year, and are well prepared to excel!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #15: Weighing in on Your Decisions

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Monday! On this segment of “Mindful Monday,” we are going to be talking about the thought process of making a huge decision. Often times, with big decisions comes a huge load of stress. A number of seniors who have not made a decision on his or her college destination know exactly what I’m talking about. But by following these tips, one can make this once stressful decision a cool and collective one.

The first tip is to weigh both sides of the spectrum. Look at the pros and cons of both and using that, decide which one best suits you. Which decision will bring out the best in you? Once you find that out, make your decision and don’t look back.

Thank you, Mahwah, and have a great rest of the week. As for the seniors, congrats!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/03/28/6-tips-for-making-better-decisions/

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #14: Procrastination

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Monday! Okay, so we were going to have another Mindful Monday for you, but we procrastinated. Instead of buckling down and getting it done, we put it off and focused more on the planning and minute details rather than putting our work on the paper in front of us. That is the wrong way to do things, ladies and gentleman. Don’t be us. We did it all wrong. In order to enhance productivity and beat procrastination, it’s important to make a working schedule.Prioritize what needs to be done. and get to it.

Thank you, Mahwah and good luck to everyone taking the second round of PARCC!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmcclafferty/2014/10/24/beat-procrastination/

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_96.htm

http://www.inc.com/welcome.html?destination=http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/5-scientifically-proven-ways-to-beat-procrastination.html

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #13: Needless Worrying

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Monday! Hope everyone had a wonderful spring break! Anyways we are back with another Mindful Monday and on this segment, we are talking about needless worrying.. A wise man by the name of Leo Buscalga once said, “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, its only saps today of its joy.” Worrying is a double edged sword, in that on one hand worrying now will allow one to take action in the future and on the other hand, worrying about something that is out of your control only causes stress. To help avoid needless worrying you can step back and look at the situation, does you worrying serve a purpose, and if it does not, move on.

Thank you, Mahwah, and enjoy the rest of the week!

LINKS:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/5-ways-to-instantly-rid-yourself-of-needless-worry.html

http://www.healingwell.com/library/anxiety/article.asp?author=mccoy&id=1

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #12: Avoiding Cynicism

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Monday! On this week’s segment of Mindful Monday, we are talking about avoiding cynicism.  In the stressful environment that is school, it is very easy to become defensive and cynical. Unfortunately, being pessimistic and sarcastic about the challenges in day-to-day life gets nothing done. However, by avoiding cynicism, you become more open, which allows for a greater understanding of your environment and of your emotions. By working to become less cynical, you’ll learn to confront your worries and issues head-on, which will significantly improve your quality of life.

Here are some links on how to defeat the cynicism inside of you:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/compassion-matters/201212/is-cynicism-ruining-your-life

http://careynieuwhof.com/2013/03/how-do-you-kill-the-cynicism-inside-you/

http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2012/10/07/how-you-can-defeat-cynicism/

Thank you and enjoy the rest of the shortened week!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #11: Being Mindful of Your Surroundings

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Monday! We are back with another edition of our Mindful Monday and this week’s segment deals with being attentive of your surroundings every so often. Despite our desire to be successful and improve each day, we often run through our busy days without processing the world around us, making us downright bored. According to psychologist Ellen Langer, the best way to exit this harmful state of mind is to look for the “new in the familiar.” For example, simply ask yourself: What do you notice in the world around you that you haven’t noticed before? By simply being mindful of your surroundings, you will not only be much more entertained, but you will also put yourself in a better state of mind, which in turn improves productivity in the long run.

Exploring the "new in the familiar" could be done through something as simple
 as a hike down at the Reservation. 

Here are some links regarding this topic:

http://www.buddhanet.net/lmed2.htm

Spiritual Intelligence: A New Way of Being By Brian Draper (pg 87)

Thank you, and have a great rest of the week!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #10: Laughing

Good morning, Mahwah, and happy Monday! This week’s segment of Mindful Monday may sound funny, but it’s actually very good for the soul and that’s the nature of laughter. Laughing won’t just reduce stress in your day; it has also been proven to also improve your physical health. One of the long term effects of laughing is an improved immune system! Sometimes it is hard to get your mind out of your work, but if you make the attempt to laugh at something for a while, you will be in a better mindset to tackle your day! So today, make time to watch your favorite show or hang out with friends that make you laugh; it’s for your health!

Here are some links regarding the science and psychology of laughter:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/talking-about-trauma/201311/lol-how-laughter-can-improve-your-health

Thank you, and have a great week!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #9: Carrying out your goals

Good morning Mahwah and happy Monday! On this week’s segment of Mindful Monday, we are talking about executing your goals. We all have dreams and goals in life that we want to accomplish. Sometimes, we talk about how we are going to accomplish these goals, but end up doing very little when it comes to actually getting work done. The problem is that our actions often do not reflect our words and our desires. One way to work around this issue is to make a time-sensitive list or schedule as a method of making sure that you do what you set out to do. Setting a deadline for your goal fuels the intrinsic motivation within.  There are many more ways to make sure that you achieve your goals, so don’t be afraid to innovate!

Here are some links regarding this topic:

http://thehumanenterprise.com.au/announcements/why-setting-goals-is-not-enough-the-art-of-execution

http://personalexcellence.co/blog/goal-achievement-execution/

Thank you, Mahwah, and have a great week of testing. The finish line is near; push to the end, Mahwah!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #8: Focusing on your goals

Good afternoon Mahwah and happy Monday! We’re back with another Mindful Monday and this week we’re talking about focusing on your goals. Your mindset works kind of like a seesaw when it comes to completing a task. If you are faced with a problem, it is like you are on the seesaw with your goal sitting on the other side, but 100 pounds heavier than you. However, like the way a seesaw moves, when you get close to the center, the closer you move towards your goal and the easier it is to get your mind going. Simply move your focus towards what you want to get done, and it will seem less hectic, which in turn will help you de-stress a bit.

Thank you , Mahwah High School, and have a great week of testing! We as Project P.E.A.C.E. wish everyone the best of luck these next two weeks; remember to breathe - you are all well prepared and are going to do great!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #7: Face to Face Communication

Good morning, and happy Monday Mahwah! We’re back with another Mindful Monday and this week, we are talking about face to face communication. While technology can help us out with our homework and other responsibilities, it isn't always the best way to communicate with other people. Talking face-to-face with another person will have a more positive effect on your mindset than simply texting them. Try to pick a day where you take communications such as your phone or Facebook out of your life and instead replace it with simply speaking in person and see the effects for yourself! Why not make that day today? Try it, Mahwah!

Here are some links regarding this principle: 

http://iancoon.blogspot.com/2013/04/technology-help-or-hindrance-to.html

http://www.ashtoncollege.com/theimportance-face-face-communication/

http://www.starmedical.co.uk/thelounge/comment/what-are-the-advantages-of-face-to-face-communication/

Enjoy the rest of the week and remember: sometimes we just have to enjoy the simple things in life!

Another reminder that Yoga will be this THURSDAY, 2/26/15, in the Cardio Room at 2:30. Hope to see you there.

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #6: Meditation & Breathing

Good afternoon and happy Monday! Hope everyone is enjoying his or her President’s Day break and catching up on some sleep! Anyway, this segment of Mindful Monday is in regards to meditation and breathing. Did you know that meditation can improve your left prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain most responsible for feeling happy? Focusing your breath and mind for just a few minutes a day can permanently, raise your brain’s level of happiness, and well as lower stress and improve your immune system! So today take some time out of your day and meditate by focusing your breath and relaxing. You won’t regret it!

Here are some links regarding this topic:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/mindfulness-meditation-benefits-health_n_3016045.html

http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-c1-meditation-20150216-story.html#page=1

Enjoy the shortened week!

REMINDER: Yoga and art therapy classes will be in session this THURSDAY, 2/19/15 from 2:30 - 3:00. Hope to see you there!

Throwback Tuesday: An Update on Yoga Events as well as Letters to 8th Graders

Hello everyone, and happy Tuesday! Today, we will be turning back the clock and updating you all on our project. This Thursday  will mark the third yoga class of the year. The first two have been quite successful thus far; students that participate really enjoy the class and have given us very strong feedback! Here are some photos that capture some of the techniques done during the class:

In addition to the yoga events, we had our Yoga Flash on the 4th of February. On behalf of the whole team as well as Ms. Van Ess , we would like to thank everyone who participated. The turnout was fabulous! We hope to see all who participated in the cardio room on Thursday!

In other news, out letters to 8th graders solution has been completed! Earlier in January, we infiltrated Freshman Advisory (with the permission of Mr. Fuchs and Ms. Cording of course) and each freshman wrote a letter to the incoming class of 2019 regarding his or her experiences at the high school.

One student decided to write a sonnet!

Once all the letters were written, it was time for us to get to work. We placed an 8th grade letter as well as our very own letter in 250 envelopes and got them ready for Mr. Gliatta so that he could distribute them to every single 8th grader.

Moreover, we sent Mr. Gliatta out introductory video so that he can show it to the 8th graders while he was down at the Ridge. The video can be accessed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdBsqWgSFqE

Mr. Gliatta met with the 8th graders on the 5th of February and it was a huge success!

Well, that does it for us, enjoy the rest of your day!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #5: The Ripple Effect

Good morning, students and faculty, and happy Monday! On this segment of Mindful Monday, we are talking about the ripple effect. Did you know that human behavior is contagious? Research has proven that much of our habits, attitudes, and actions spread through a complicated web of connections to infect those around us- sort of like a ripple effect. For instance, if a boss comes into a meeting filled with anger, within minutes the aura of the meeting will be negative. Fortunately, the ripple effect may also spread positive energy. With something as simple as a smile or good posture, you will be releasing chemicals that make you happy, which in turn will stimulate happiness to others around you. So, Mahwah, take a moment now to think of something positive in your life and let out a smile!

Here are some links regarding the ripple effect:

http://asq.sagepub.com/content/47/4/644.abstract

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201102/the-rippling-effect

Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your week!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #4: The Spacing Effect

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and happy Monday! On this segment of Mindful Monday, we are talking about the spacing effect (those who take A.P. Psychology with Mrs. Rosen know what I’m talking about).Do you have a large goal you want to accomplish, but have no idea how to start doing it? Or maybe you have so much to do in a day that you have no idea how you are going to get it all done? The way to accomplish your goal and keep your sanity is to divide your workload into smaller, more manageable steps. These steps should be just small enough that you can do them effectively and just large enough that you feel accomplished after doing them. That way, you’ll get your work done with the least amount of stress!

Leslie studied the same number of hours as Lee Ann and Nora, but since she broke it down over 8 days, she retained the most information. This can be seen through her test grade. 

Here are some links about the spacing effect:

http://www.knowledgefactor.com/sites/default/files/The%20Spacing%20Effect.pdf

http://www.knowledgefactor.com/sites/default/files/The%20Spacing%20Effect.pdf

http://andrewvs.blogs.com/usu/files/the_spacing_effect.pdf

Thank you and stay safe during this snowstorm!

Yoga Event UPDATE: Infiltration of Gym Warm-Ups

Hello everyone! Last week, we took a huge step forward in regards to our yoga event. We were lucky enough to have Ms. Van Ess, the Business and History Supervisor of Mahwah Schools and a certified yoga instructor, infiltrate every physical education class and go through some yoga exercises with all the students. Everyone in each gym class participated in these exercises as this was their warm-up for the day (as opposed to the usual running) While she was going through the routine with the period 8 gym class, Ms. Van Ess had several guests assist her...(take a guess who)

Rob performing an exercise in very interesting yoga attire

Look at that form!

The routine that Ms. Van Ess went through will be the same routine that will be performed during an event that will occur shortly within the next two weeks. I cannot say more about that event so stay tuned!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #3: Perseverance

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and happy Monday! This week’s Mindful Monday deals with something everyone has had to endure in his or her lifetime - adversity. Nelson Mandela once said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.” What Mandela Means is that in order to succeed, we must get up every time we fall, and we must learn how to take our failures and turn them into successes. There is something to learn from every mistake, so try to recover from them and you’ll come out a better person!  

Here are some links about perseverance:

http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/overcoming-adversity.html

http://www.cbn.com/entertainment/sports/700club_tonydungy100906.aspx

http://www.exploregod.com/how-to-overcome-adversity

Thank you, and enjoy the day off!

REMINDER: Our free yoga class begins this THURSDAY 1/22 in the cardio room at 2:30. Be sure to sign up during lunch or after school!

Project Update: Yoga Event and Breathing Exercises (WITH LINKS)

Good evening everyone! This is Rob with another update on Project P.E.A.C.E’s  roadmap. This is one of our biggest solutions. It is the yoga event. Beginning on the 22nd of January, Project P.E.A.C.E, under the supervision of certified yoga instructor Ms. Nikki Van Ess, will run a free yoga event for students. We intend to meet from 2:30-3:00 on Thursdays on a bi-weekly basis. We intend to dedicate the  first few months for the upperclassmen as they deal or begin to deal with the hectic college process. Furthermore, as finals start to creep up, we intend to open the sessions exclusively for the underclassmen. Depending on the turnout, this may be subject to change. Now on to other news...

On behalf of the team, I would like to thank the MHS faculty for allowing us  to introduce ourselves and inform you all on some of the solutions we have planned to solve our underlying problem. We are grateful for the warm atmosphere you all provided in yesterday’s meeting and hope that you all got something out of our presentation. If you are looking for the yoga links that Ms. Van Ess spoke about, there will be posted below. The first link is the full run of the session while the next three are the individual parts.  Shoutout to Mr. Miguel for creating the videos as well as Ms. Van Ess for taking the time out of her day to teach us some yoga!

Breathing Exercise: Full : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z07cLL7H-DA

Exercise 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdg5PdNJLik

Exercise 2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4w1DNTBqUA

Exercise 3:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd6CCaAHhAY

Thank you and good night!

Project P.E.A.C.E. Mindful Monday #2: The Tetris Effect

Hello everyone and happy Monday! We are back with another Mindful Monday and this week is in regards to this principle called the  Tetris Effect.

Did you know that there is something called a negative Tetris Effect? It is more than some video-game sounding affliction: Someone with the negative Tetris Effect is stuck in a routine of picking out the negatives in life, creating a negative and therefore more stressed lifestyle. There is a way out of this contagious effect; by simply writing 3 good things that happen to you each day, you can improve your perspective and make you happier!

Here are some links about the Tetris Effect.

https://blog.bufferapp.com/how-to-rewire-your-brains-for-positivity-and-happiness

http://www.unclebobstips.com/happiness/THREE_The_Tetris_Effect.asp

Have a great rest of the week! Remember fill your head with negativity positive vibes!

Our First Mindful Monday: 20 Second Rule

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! This is Rob providing you all with a little update on our project. One of our solutions that we have come up with is something called “Mindful Mondays.” Each week, beginning today,there is a new theme regarding wellness that we come up with and share with our peers via the Mahwah High School morning announcements. Today our theme is the 20 second rule.

The 20 second rule is if you put 20 seconds of time into starting something productive, you’re more likely to stick with it and follow through. So if you have an old guitar lying around that you’ve always wanted to learn how to play, instead of laying on the couch and watching TV, put 20 seconds into taking it off its stand and opening up your music book to have a more productive day.

Here are some links regarding this principle, enjoy!

http://www.unclebobstips.com/happiness/SIX_The_20Second_Rule.asp

http://blog.bradleygauthier.com/change-habit-in-20-seconds/

Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your week!

Welcome to our Page!

Hello fellow students, teachers, and parents!  We are Project P.E.A.C.E. (Public Education and Community Empowerment) of Mind, the Community Problem Solving based in Mahwah High School. This year, our main focus is to work to help promote wellness by reducing stress in our Mahwah community. We have some pretty cool in order to reach our overarching goal, but first it’s important that you know a little bit about who we are.

Project P.E.A.C.E. is made up of 8 goal driven students of great diversity. Here are the members of our team divided by team:

Coach: Mr. Justin Saputski

Project Manager: Caitie Pavon

Caitie is a senior at MHS and has a lot of experience in regards to future problem solving. She is easily the most experienced member of the squad and a very strong leader for the group.  Caitie is also part of the renowned MHS band and can pretty much always be seen with a smile on her face.

Tech Team: Jaiveer Bhasin

Jaiveer, like Caitie, has had significant experience as a future problem solver. He is also a senior and is an avid New York Rangers and New York Knicks fan. He’s one that you would expect to be in attendance for a key hockey game at Madison Square Garden.

Tech Team: Robert Al-Moustafa

Unlike Caitie and Jay, Rob is sort of a newcomer in regards to future problem solving; however, he has started to settle in along with Jay as part of the tech team. Rob is also a senior and was a member of the MHS Boys’ Soccer team. Moreover, he is an aspiring Penn State Nittany Lion.

Creative Team: Griffin Charyn

Griffin , our last senior of the group, has  had his fair share of experience as a future problem solver. He is also a very skilled musician, earning regional and statewide recognition for his excellence. He aspires to attend college and major in music.

Creative Team: Allyson Damate

Ally, like Griffin, has also had her fair share of experience. She is the only junior in the group and she plays five different instruments (one of them being her voice). Pretty cool, eh?

Creative Team: Brianna Stoohs

Brianna is the youngest of the bunch as a freshman. Don’t be fooled; however, because she has experience in FPS, participating in project challenge down at the middle school. While she may still be adapting to high school life, her position as a member of the creative team is solid.

Secretary (Data Owner): Emma Maley

Emma: Emma is a sophomore at Mahwah who has been entrusted as one of the secretaries of Project PEACE. She is an organized individual who also has a splash of experience as a problem solver. Furthermore, she is a part of the MHS Girls Volleyball team that performed phenomenally, especially at the Nest. The sun never sets, people.

Secretary (Data Owner): Matt Trevisani

Like Emma, Matt is also a sophomore and a secretary for the squad. He is a very ambitious individual who has high hopes for the future. He also isn't afraid to put on a suit on a casual Friday morning.  Moreover, Matt is a part of the MHS band.

On behalf of everyone on our team, we would like to welcome you to our blog!