Children encounter emotional, social and physical challenges or conflicts, we have a dedicated and intentional yoga practice that includes breathing techniques, behavioral guidelines and physical postures that’s been incredibly valuable to Lafayette and for the program. We currently have 3 weekly yoga sessions presented to our students and staff. We believe that our Mindfulness/Yoga Therapy will encourage the practice of accessing and integrating all aspects of our “mind, body and spirit”.

Mind
Our kids will draw upon mindfulness skills learned from yoga when feeling overwhelmed mentally, physically and emotionally.

Body
Our kids will increase their body awareness through the practice of balance, coordination, body alignment and core strength poses/exercises.

Spirit
Yoga will inspire positive character development that’s supported through mindfulness techniques that build self-esteem, confidence, and self respect.

School
Yoga will continue to support the physical and emotional health of our students and staff while encouraging a school culture that promotes respect for others, for self and the environment.

Champ is owned by Donna Patton.  She and Champ have visited Lafayette School students and staff once a week since the Fall of 2015

CHAMP
IS A GRADUATE of GREEN DOGS UNLEASHED.  GREEN DOGS UNLEASHED is a non-profit organization committed to rescuing animals in need, rehabilitating them and professionally training them to become Therapy dogs and then placing them in homes to give back to the community, they focus on the rescue, rehabilitation and training of special needs animals to work with special needs humans. All our animals are currently trained and rehabilitated at Unleashed
Canine Training Academy, in Troy, Virginia.

Therapy-BAMA Works Fund Of The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation

For the 3rd year in a row, Lafayette School has applied for and been awarded The BAMA Works fund of the Dave Matthews Band Foundation for the Lafayette School quilting program.  Therapist, Lisa Clyman assists  with our sewing program.
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Our students design and create quilts that are donated to ‪#‎ProjectLinus‬, a program that donates the quilts locally and nationally to be distributed to children in hospitals, shelters, social service agencies, or anywhere that a child might be in need of a big hug. Lafayette School quilts have been donated to flood victims in West Virginia, as well as a young 9 year-old cancer survivor in Canada.
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Our students have made and donated almost 60 quilts to #ProjectLinus.  Each of our students has also made a quilt for their own comfort. The goal of this project is two-fold – 1) Providing a learning opportunity that will last a lifetime by teaching our students to use sewing machines and quilt, 2) demonstrate for our student the internal grace that accompanies giving to less fortunate one than us. 
The red, white and blue quilts will be going to TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) for young people who have lost a loved one/parent in the line of duty for our Country.
​Thanks you Dave Matthews Band BAMAWorks fund for granting us this opportunity.

Our Staff and Students thank BAMA Works fund of the Dave Matthews Band and the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation for their generous and continued support. ​​

Gardening
Program
​
Lafayette School
began its Therapeutic Gardening Program in 2016.  This project was started with a grant
from The Project Learning Tree and the inspiration of our Clinical
Coordinator, Damon Watson.  Damion applied for and received grants to begin and sustain
a therapeutic garden which led to the student creation of “LEAFAYETTE Therapeutic
Garden”.For 2017, Lafayette School was awarded a grant from The Whole Kids Foundation to continue to grow (pun intended) our
garden. Whole Kids Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded by Whole Foods Market.  Their Mission is to support school and
inspire families to improve children’s nutritional wellness.The students have
tried every vegetable harvested from the garden along with using the garden as a coping tool
when feeling emotionally overwhelmed.  The students learn the importance of
environmental stewardship, healthy therapeutic lifestyles, increased social and community
development, and reinforced positive academic achievement.

The students harvested
over 50 lbs of vegetables, which we prepared and cooked.  We enjoyed the taste of
potatoes, onions, garden beans, a garden salad and fried green tomatoes.  The students
dried the peppers they had grown and used them as a dry spice in food applications.  They
also experimented tasting a school grown watermelon, many for the first time.  We also shared
a lot of the produce with the community and to some
families.

 

Leafayette Therapeutic Garden’s main goal was to create life-long learning opportunities through the establishment, maintaining, and harvesting of a garden, create a learning environment that encourages the skill of observation, participation, team work, planning, design and maintenance, to develop in the student a sense of achievement through a child centered approach where students take ownership of the task and the outcome and to provide a therapeutic outlet for the students to use when in crisis or emotionally overwhelmed. The garden provided broader life lessons directly contributing to the mental, emotional & physical well-being of our students & community.OUR
STAFF & STUDENTS THANKS PROJECT LEARNING TREE GREENWORKS AND THE WHOLE KIDS FOUNDATION
FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE LAFAYETTE SCHOOL “LEAFAYETTE”
GARDEN

A garden
is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry
and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.​— Gertrude Jekyll