District News

The gym at Beechwood Elementary has transformed into the “Barks & Bends Pawsitive Yoga Studio”—a calm, welcoming space where students (and even staff) are discovering the benefits of yoga for both body and mind.

Physical Education teacher Mr. Gordesky launched the new yoga unit this fall, aligning it with Ohio’s Physical Education Standards and Beechwood’s focus on helping students develop healthy habits, self-regulation, and confidence.

“I’d never taught yoga as a full unit before,” Mr. Gordesky shared. “I thought it might start a little rocky, but the kids LOVED it from day one.”

Throughout the multi-week unit, students in grades 2–5 practiced poses, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques designed to improve balance, coordination, focus, and emotional control. Each lesson includes at least two breathing activities, a relaxation finisher, and discussions about what each pose does for the body. Students also created their own yoga sequences, learning how poses support fitness and mental clarity.

Yoga also connects to Beechwood’s social-emotional goals. Students explore strategies for “changing the channel”—redirecting their thoughts when they feel frustrated or distracted—and

“washing away” worries to focus on what they can control.

The unit extended beyond the gym, featuring a classroom lesson on at-desk stretching and breathing that helped students find calm and focus during the school day. Many staff members even joined classes during their free periods, strengthening school connections and fostering the relationship-driven culture Beechwood strives for.

“A big goal of this unit became relationship-building and climate,” Gordesky said. “Staff were curious and started joining in, which helped create a really positive energy in the building.”

In true Beechwood fashion, students learned to be resilient, resourceful, and ready—finding ways to practice yoga at home using everyday items like towels or blankets instead of mats. The unit wrapped up with an at-home PE challenge, where students Maddie and Alexa were the proud winners of two yoga sets to keep the momentum going at home!