Now that summer is upon us, it seems a good time to reflect on some of the achievements that went on this past year within the ranks of the Bristol-Warren Regional School District.

It was noted that Lynn Ann Palmieri DePasquale, a fifth grade teacher at Hugh Cole School, had a most worthy achievement this calendar year.

“The teacher who created the two outdoor rock classrooms at Hugh Cole had perfect attendance this school year,” said Hugh Cole School psychologist Laurie Heyden. “It is no coincidence. I suspect that Lynn’s superior health, which led to her perfect attendance, is a product of being outside often, which includes breathing fresh air and grounding. The oxygen rich air boosts immunity. Grounding happens by making physical contact with the Earth. For Lynn and her students, by sitting on the big rocks in the outdoor classroom, on the grass or on the cement walkways, they are grounding.”

Heyden said that tentative research has shown simply being in contact with the Earth has shown to promote positive health outcomes.

“The Earth has an electrical charge, and when we make physical contact with the earth, we take on that electrical frequency,” she said. “Research has produced fascinating evidence of a shift in the electrical state of the body while grounding. We already know that antioxidant foods have strong preventive health benefits, and electrons are the source of that neutralizing power against free radicals. Similarly, when grounding, the body absorbs electrons from the Earth which neutralize free radicals. It’s that simple.”

DePasquale, who was hired by the district in 1992 and taught 6th grade math until moving to Hugh Cole four years ago, said that whatever she achieved this year, it is in direct correlation with what’s been going on at Hugh Cole School from the very beginning.

“Hugh Cole Elementary was involved in an attendance improvement project,” she explained. “Teachers were given ‘attendance matters’ t-shirts at the beginning of the school year. My students and I added ‘Improve attendance’ to our goal setting and posted a monthly calendar on the board to keep track. Anyone who did not reach the goal for that month had the opportunity to try again the next month. They were excited about receiving a certificate and an extra recess led by the physical education teachers for each month they had perfect attendance. I showed my students that I had perfect attendance in fifth grade at Colt School in Bristol and told them that I was making it a goal for myself this year as well.”

She continued, “During Covid, I brought my classes outside as much as possible. I noticed that work production increased and behavioral issues decreased. Additionally, the children showed so much excitement when it was a thrive outside day. They enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere and the flexible seating. Because of the positive effects, I continue to teach outside as much as I can. I believe the fresh air and green space has contributed to my perfect attendance. I have not missed a day of work since November 1, 2022.”