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Cultivating Calm: Pond Cove Elementary School’s K-4 Health and Wellness Program Builds Lifelong Skills

At Pond Cove Elementary School in the Cape Elizabeth School Department, students gain more than just academic knowledge; they’re learning essential tools to support their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Pond Cove is one of the few elementary schools in Maine with a certified health educator leading a comprehensive Health and Wellness program.

Heather Kennedy, K-4 Health and Wellness teacher at Pond Cove Elementary School, is deeply committed to fostering the whole health of young learners. Kennedy has designed and is implementing a K-4 Health and Wellness curriculum that blends health content, mindfulness, The Regulated Classroom framework, and Yoga 4 Classrooms strategies.

“All students participate in structured or unstructured physical movement as part of every health lesson,” Kennedy explained. “I intentionally designed the Movement on Mats program to help expand students’ whole-body learning, including the practice of self-regulation and stress release.”

A movement on mats classroom set up.

For younger learners who may not yet have the words to express their stress, movement becomes a powerful tool. Through physical activity, focused breathing, and body control, students build body awareness, emotional resilience, and leadership skills. These activities help them to enter classroom learning with greater focus and engagement.

Kennedy explains that her curriculum “makes it possible for students to practice physical movement in the space constraints of a typical classroom.” Kennedy added that most movement practice takes place right in her health classroom, with desks and wobble stools still in place.

While the physical benefits for students are visible, Kennedy says the most impactful part of her work is what she calls the “hidden work” of co-regulation.

“Within each lesson, I aim to co-create a balanced environment using precise language while modeling behaviors and responses,” she said. “By far, the most beneficial impact of what I do is in the hidden work of co-regulating students’ nervous systems to be in their parasympathetic branch. To foster each learner’s sense of belonging, calm, and safety, I must take the lead by being in a regulated state—no matter how challenging the situation.”

This intentional approach helps students to feel safe, grounded, and ready to learn—skills they can carry far beyond the classroom.

Here is what a few of Kennedy’s students had to say:

“Having Health and Wellness lessons at Pond Cove Elementary School has helped my wellness by teaching me about what would be a ‘once in a while’ choice and what is a ‘healthy, everyday’ choice,” fourth-grade student Levi B. said.

“Being healthy benefits you for your whole life!” fourth-grade student Henry F. said.

“All the areas of health that make up wellness, like physical, mental, emotional, social, environmental, and family, have been put into my brain. All of it together makes it one strong idea of what wellness is. It helps me be more careful with my body, my brain, and my choices,” fourth-grade student Winnie W. said.

“Health is like a really good friend. If you don’t have one, your happiness can go down,” fourth-grade student Chaz S. said.

“Learning about 5-2-1-0 helps me to be my ‘healthy self’ in health and everywhere else!” second-grade student Robin B. said.

“I like 5-2-1-0 because it keeps me healthy and happy!” second-grade student Hazel W-H. said.

Kennedy said she hopes that the Pond Cove’s curriculum is a model that could inspire other districts to bring health education and wellness more fully into their elementary schools.

By embedding movement, mindfulness, and emotional regulation into everyday instruction, Kennedy is helping students to build strong foundations for lifelong health—and demonstrating the powerful role that dedicated health education can play in the early grades.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) celebrates the work happening at Pond Cove and encourages other districts to explore how a dedicated elementary-level Health and Wellness curriculum can support the whole child.

This story was written in collaboration with Pond Cove Elementary School. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.

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