Movement for Flourishing Schools Assumes The Calmer Choice Mantle

For 15 years the non-profit Calmer Choice worked to introduce the practice of mindfulness to area elementary school students in hopes of helping schools to better flourish. Mindfulness, or the practice of being aware of the present moment, without judgment, has been shown to be important to both physical and mental well-being.

 Offering an eight-week curriculum to students, Calmer Choice worked to bring evidence-based mindfulness, resilience and well-being to elementary school classrooms.

 By June 2025, the educational landscape had changed dramatically. Grants and government funding for Calmer Choice's programming had dropped precipitously. When operations were paused, last June, it appeared as though the end was near for Calmer Choice.

 Instead, after reviewing the many successes, challenges and lessons learned at Calmer Choice, in December 2025 the organization's board of directors announced the establishment of The Movement for Flourishing Schools (MFS). 

 According to Executive Director Sarah Manion, the Movement for Flourishing Schools is working to change the focus in education from the current testing orientation to a culture that prioritizes mental, emotional, and social well-being for students and staff. 

 Instead of working directly with students, the Movement is now focused on partnering with school principals, said Manion, a Brewster resident. The goal is to "empower principals as culture leaders allowing them to transform their schools," she added. "Education is not preparation for a test. It is the cultivation of human potential. When we attend to the whole child, everyone will do better."

 The Movement is now gearing up for its first initiative, a yearlong pilot program designed to provide collaborative support and training to principals. Based on an initiative developed by Derek Thompson, principal of the South Elementary School in Plymouth, the program looks at ways to develop, encourage and support the practice of being fully present, engaged, and non-judgmental in all interactions. Thompson called these "the skills of a great teacher," which need to be articulated and supported. "How do we do this?" Thompson queried. "The answer needs mindfulness. We are already doing the work."

 In addition to a board of directors consisting of many Calmer Choice board members, an MFS advisory board was established, including Fiona Jensen, the founder of Calmer Choice, as well as a number of subject matter experts. Principal Thompson, a longtime Calmer Choice board member, serves as chair. 

 The vision of MFS is "to realize a flourishing educational system where schools are communities centering purpose, presence, contribution, belonging and growth at the heart of learning," Manion said. 

 The mission of the new organization is "to build a collaborative movement of principals and educators who are supported to reimagine and revitalize our education system, one school at a time," she said. We are "committed to carrying forward the vision of realizing a world where children, and those who support them, can flourish."

 MFS is currently looking for participants in the upcoming pilot program. For more information go to info@flourishingschools.org.