Farrell for the WIN
Jun. 22—FARRELL — As Mike Adams led the elementary students in a demonstration of yoga nidra, he made sure to tailor his lesson to the kids — referring to positions as a "tabletop," "angry cat" or even a "cow."
Despite their excited laughter, the children followed along closely, whether it was practicing meditation techniques or trying to bend their entire bodies backward.
"I thought that with COVID and all the social things that have been going on recently, it'd be good to teach the kids something that could help them de-stress," said Adams, a retired professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a former Farrell student.
The yoga nidra demonstration Tuesday morning was among several activities offered this week at the Farrell Area School District's WIN, or "What I Need," Summer Academy, which returned for the second time this year.
Held at Farrell schools, the six-week-long summer remediation enrichment program offers activities for students pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.
The program is offered at no-cost to students' families and provides free breakfast and lunch. About 150 students were participating, an increase over last year, said Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Emily Clare.
Although the WIN Summer Academy was kicked off in 2021, Superintendent Dr. Lora Adams-King said participation was limited due to families' concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Conditions have improved and parents felt more comfortable sending their children to the Summer Academy this year. Since beginning earlier this month, Adams-King said the program has received a positive response from parents and students alike.
"They're very happy to be here," Adams-King said of the students. "We've had an excellent response from the parents."
Some of the activities, like the yoga nidra demonstration, were physical. If done properly, Adams said 48 minutes of yoga nidra can be the equivalent of four hours of REM sleep.
Aside from being a former Farrell student, Adams found out about the WIN Summer Academy through his aunt, Adams-King, and decided he could teach yoga and meditation to the students in the school auditorium.
"The little kids love it, but with older kids in their teens, they're more concerned with how they look when they're doing it around their friends," Adams said.
Another activity that proved popular with the students was swimming, which was held in the school's own swimming pool under the guidance of teacher Becky Bolyard.
Assisting Bolyard were a few lifeguards, all of whom were Farrell students themselves.
Since Farrell students are able to be lifeguard-certified at the school's pool, Adams-King said it allows the students to get a job at the school alongside people they're already familiar with.
In a more traditional classroom setting, another group of students in the elementary Makerspace worked on computers under the guidance of Ben Kusserow, an instructor with the Carnegie Science Center.
While Kusserow alternated between instructing from the front of the class and working with students individually, the students selected designs for stickers that were later printed off.
Completed last school year, Adams-King said the makerspace, which is oriented toward STEAM-related projects, includes 3D printers and laser engravers the students can use when they return to classes in the fall.
Among the students designing stickers were Rakiyah Truxon, 10, and Nevaeh Chaplin, 10.
Although learning how to use the computers could sometimes get a little confusing, Rakiyah and Nevaeh both said they enjoyed the project, especially since they could customize the designs to their liking.
"I picked some grass and a tree and a house," Rakiyah said.
Along with from their time in the makerspace, the two students said they were enjoying the WIN Summer Academy, with sports such as basketball and swimming among their favorite activities.
"I wish we could swim even more," Nevaeh said.
Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at .
Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at ddye@sharonherald.com.
