Lunch Rituals
Posted on09 Jan 2024
This lunch ritual is loosely based on ōryōki, a Zen monastic eating meditation that places an emphasis on service, generosity, and appreciation. It was developed by Noa Jones and Catherine Fordham for the Middle Way School of the Hudson Valley.
Shared mealtime is an opportunity to foster a healthy relationship to food, enjoy each other’s company, and create a harmonious environment at the table. Creating a consistent mealtime practice can help children feel more focussed and be more present with their food.
Shugen Roshi on Shila
Posted on21 May 2023
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi, Abbot of the Zen Mountain Monastery spoke to a group of Middle Way School parents on the subject of shila, or Buddhist discipline on April 13, 2023.
Book Review: Monster Parade
Posted on09 May 2023
We want to set children up for success when introducing them to meditation practices so playfulness is on order. The Monster Parade: A Book about Feeling All Your Feelings and Then Watching Them Go by Wendy O'Leary with illustrations by Noémie Gionet Landry (Bala Kids 2022) is a wonderful and playful way to approach the idea that feelings and thoughts are fleeting.
Celebrations: Vesak
Posted on04 May 2023
Vesak is a day when Buddhists around the world commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death (parinirvana) of the Buddha. We think it’s a great day to encourage children to make simple offerings— flowers, incense, and candles—and to abstain from eating meat for the day or do life-release. Maybe host a birthday celebration for the Buddha!
Mala Bag Sewing Project
Posted on18 Apr 2023
Students sew drawstring bags using a simple backstitch in preparation for the mala they will string in a future class. This lesson was created by Noa Jones at the Middle Way School for third grade students preparing for Rites of Passage.
Book Review: Prajapati
Posted on13 Apr 2023
A self-published book available in print or eBook about the inspiring story of Prajapati, Buddha's aunt and guardian written and illustrated by Alicja Zmigrodzka.
Children’s Day Resources
Posted on28 Mar 2023
Children's Day is an important tradition that was started by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1978. Do you have a special day when you celebrate children?
Aims of Buddhist Education
Posted on23 Mar 2023
An article by our advisor, Venerable Bhikku Bodhi, on Buddhism in modern education.
Book Review: Sit with Me
Posted on16 Mar 2023
Sit with Me is our go-to book during the first weeks of school. Carolyn Kanjuro's delightful rhyming verses invite children of all ages to learn the seven points of posture. The character Justa Bug describes posture–from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet–with a spine straight like coins stacked on a plate and shoulders back like a vulture in flight.