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| April 2009 |
Spring Edition |
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The Sean O'Shea Foundation
Newsletter |
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| Letter from the President |
The past three months have been packed with recruiting teachers for the foundation, teacher training, processing new schools in to the foundation program, distributing certificates for participants, Yoga workshop fundraisers and starting our first follow-up program in Oceanside. By the end of June we will have completed the seven week foundation yoga program with over 800 young students in San Diego County. In the past year we have partnered with Vista School District, Oceanside School District, San Marcos Charter High School, San Diguito School District, San Diego School District and Chula Vista Charters. The following schools have participated and completed the seven week program: Chula Vista Learning Community Charter, Jefferson Middle School in Oceanside, Fousset Elementary in Oceanside, Carmel Valley Middle School in the San Degut Union High School District, Reynolds Elementary in Oceanside, Ceaser Chavez Middle school in Oceanside, San Luis Rey Elementary in Oceanside, Grapevine Elementary in Vista, and Sunset High School in Encinitas. Most of these schools have registered with the program for two consecutive semesters. This April and through the summer we will be working with Hoover High school in San Diego and Monroe Elementary in partnership with Rady Children's Hospital, Center for Healthier Communities, summer camps for teens of deployed parents, and San Diego yoga for homeless teens. Schools participating in the Sean O'Shea Foundation program this summer are Oceanside High School, Knox Elementary in San Diego and Franklin Elementary in San Diego. We are now accepting applications for fall of 2009. Applications will be reviewed over summer and schools will be notified by September. We have a huge bundle of thanks to the yoga teachers who dedicated their time to the youth of our communities. Presently we have nearly 35 yoga teachers registered to work for the Sean O'Shea foundation. This summer our new Chairman of the Youth Program committee, Reid Olmstead, will meet with our teachers to evaluate and revise the curriculum if necessary and prepare for the summer teacher training. Please go to our website and download an application if interested in teaching for the foundation. Make sure to read some of the testimonials from our participating students, school staff and teachers. Gloria O'Shea www.seanosheafoundation.org |
Words from Carmel Valley
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Dear Sean O' Shea Foundation,
The Carmel Valley Middle School's Adapted Physical Education program and I would like to thank you, for giving us the opportunity to have, The Sean O'Shea Foundation Yoga program, at our school. This amazing program has benefited the students in the APE program. The Adapted P.E. program is a physical experience that provides individual needs optimal success in motor and physical functioning; generally for physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged students. Within the A.P.E. class there are general education students. These students serve as peer students. The basic idea is the use of peer tutors to assess students with special-needs within the physical education environment. Our goal is to strive to meet the needs of students with challenges providing a fun and successful experience. In A.P.E. Peer tutors suit up for active participation in physical activity and receive P.E. credit. There were nineteen students in the class that benefited from the yoga program and seven of the students have special needs.
Gianna Deflice, the yoga instructor has taught a yoga program to the APE class for the past seven weeks. She was able to teach and assist students with disabilities. She was able to make modifications to meet students' specific needs, and establish a positive learning environment for all types of students. She is well organized, creative, and innovative and has the personal desire to be helpful to others, especially to students with special-needs. Her teachings have been an asset to the adapted physical education program. Students gained flexibility, learned how to relax and want to continue practicing yoga on their own time.
Thank you,
Kasey Galik
APE specialist |
| Latin Dinner to benefit the "Mats for Teens" Project |
The O'Shea family will be hosting a Latin style dinner to benefit the teenagers participating in the Sean O'Shea Foundation yoga program. The "Mats for Teens" Project has been created to collect enough donated yoga mats or donations to purchase new mats for each student wishing to participate.
"Presently the foundation supplies mats for students but the teenagers need their own mats to use and keep for ongoing practice. Most of our teen participants can't afford their own mat...some are homeless. A $10 donation will purchase a mat for a teen...that is our wholesale cost" says Gloria O'Shea.
The Benefit is scheduled for Saturday, May 23rd, 5:30pm at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Liam O'Shea (Parents of Sean O'Shea), 3397 Hollowtree Drive, Oceanside, 92058. Please contact Gloria O'Shea to respond to this invitation or for further information at [email protected] or (760)453-9924.
Your ticket to this benefit will be a newly donated mat or a donation for the foundation to purchase a mat or more. "Please help us support the teens of our communities".
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| Mats for Teens Project |
The Sean O'Shea Foundation has created the "Mats for Teens" Project to collect new yoga mats for teens wishing to practice yoga. Many of our participants are homeless or have no means to purchase a mat.
Imagine the yoga community coming to their rescue and providing enough yoga mats for any teen wishing to practice yoga through the foundation.
We hope to collect over 100 yoga mats by the end of the year.
If you would like to donate a yoga mat or two or donate funds to purchase a mat (Cost per yoga mat is $10)...please contact Brian Ruiz at [email protected] or Gloria O'Shea at [email protected].
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| A Letter from a Friend |
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I heard the sad news about your beautiful son Sean, In dealing with my own grief at the loss of such a dear and wonderful friend, I went back to re-read things Sean had written to me to savor his thoughts and his handwriting, and the sweet way he would sign every note with a little flower. I found some words of comfort that truly astounded me: something he wrote to console me after the death of our mutual friend and mentor Luis Cervantes. These words are Sean's:
"His spirit is a timeless spirit; it is a spirit I see lifted in the highest of places and the kindest of beings. He had a gentle way about him that allowed you to be comfortable around him, to be at peace around him, to be yourself around him. His presence will be missed but I know I will be reminded of his goodness in others I see"
It is like Sean that even after his own death he was able to reach out and give comfort and so I pass his words back to you...
Patricia Rose
Precita Eyes Muralists
San Francisco, CA
One of only three community mural centers in the United States, Precita Eyes Mural Art Center sponsors and implements ongoing mural projects throughout the Bay Area and internationally. This mural was painted by Sean and Mercedes O'Shea around 1997 in the San Francisco Bay area..
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Donate a Workshop or Yoga Class
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Many of you have asked how you can help the foundation. Donations
are difficult for many especially during financially difficult times.
One way you can help us out is to become a volunteer...see our
volunteer section of the newsletter.
The other way to help us out is to offer a workshop, Kirtan
concert or class and donate the proceeds to the foundation. Yoga
leaders like Kam Singh,Erin
Englebrecht, Matias and Charisse Flury, Mike Hannum, Rich McGowan and
Tim Miller have created events that benefited the Sean O'Shea
Foundation.
Offer a workshop at your studio or a class and let your clients
know the proceeds will go to the foundation...a 501c3 non profit
organization that is tax exempt.
Let us know if you are interested and we can help by promoting
your event on our E-Newsletter and website. Contact Gloria O'Shea for
more information at (760)453-9924 or
[email protected]. |
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| Volunteers Needed |
Yoga Teachers:The Foundation is in need of certified yoga teachers who would like to volunteer and teach yoga to children ages 10-17 for one hour per week for seven consecutive weeks. Yoga Teacher volunteers are a great asset to the foundation program and allow us to reach many more children by volunteering their valuable time. If you can volunteer one hour per week, please contact Gloria O'Shea directly at (760)966-0987. Special thanks to some of our yoga teacher volunteers like Miho Gilles, David Lakin, Peter Pardee, and Monisha Chandanani. Yoga Teacher Assistants:We are seeking practicing yogi's to volunteer their assistance with a yoga instructor while teaching youth in a classroom atmosphere. If you can volunteer one hour per week, please contact Gloria O'Shea directly at (760)966-0987. Committee Members:The Sean O'Shea Foundation is seeking volunteers to join our foundation committees. We need help in the following areas: Administrative assistance, Youth Program Committee, Event/Fundraising Committee, or the Grant Writing Committee. Board of Directors:The Sean O'Shea Foundation is seeking interested candidates to serve on the board of directors. Candidates should be persons of achievement who can make significant contributions to the work of the board and the organization's progress. Board member responsibilities include knowing the organization's mission, purpose, goals, policies, programs, services, strengths and needs. Board members work to strengthen foundation resources, public standing, programs and services. Collectively, the board of directors is responsible for financial oversight of the organization and ensures the foundation's legal and ethical integrity and accountability to the public. Candidates for the board of directors must be eager to serve and meet selection criteria to ensure diversity on the board of directors. While no minimum requirements exist, board members should commit to attending board and committee meetings and foundation hosted benefits/events. Board members are also expected to support fund-raising efforts of the foundation. Please contact Gloria O'Shea if interested in becoming a Board of Director for the Sean O'Shea Foundation and in offering your services and expertise to our foundation at (760)966-0987 or email [email protected] |
| Testimonials- from Schools, faculty, and students... |
Sean O'Shea...bringing yoga and
health programs to youth since 2001. Seven weeks ago we inquired about the Sean O'Shea Foundation coming to our school to instruct our students on the benefits of yoga. Upon our initial orientation we decided to become teammates and by the next week the classes were off and running. Each Monday at 1:15pm 25 kids would come to the after school program sign in and head down to the multi-purpose room and prepare for an hour of non-stop exhilarating exercise. The kids that attended the program returned refreshed, calm, relaxed and eager to do their homework. I directly relate that to the yoga instructors and their ability to instruct our kids and teaching them to be in tune with their bodies. Without fail the instructors were on time and truly gifted to teach our students. We intend to have the Sean O'Shea Foundation back soon for another seven week session of yoga." -Louis A. Tavern- CSI, I. Program SupervisorCesar Chavez Middle School, Oceanside, CA "The Sean O'Shea Foundation is amazing, planting seeds, and allowing children to see that there are OPTIONS other than the traditional forms of movement, way of thinking, nutrition, and taking care of the environment. Just planting these seeds is a HUGE step and a major reason that the Sean O'Shea Foundation will continue to grow". -Haunani Chong- Change Leader & Independent Executive[email protected] "I have shared with other staff members the foundation and everyone thinks that it is great for our students. I was actually talking about it the other day with a PE teacher who teaches at one of the elementary schools that the foundation is at. She has also been impressed with your instructors :) Our principal would love to see it return (and so would I) so I will apply for the spring". -Heather Meyers- Health and Physical EducationJefferson Middle School, Oceanside, CA "The Sean O'Shea Foundation Yoga program has helped me so much. Even though I did yoga before, they helped me to look deeper into the poses I have done so many times before. My form has improved so much since they came to my school. I am extremely grateful. Their weekly visits to my school have relieved me of some of the every day stress of school. It was a nice break from the constant movement of life. Thanks Sean O'Shea!" -Carmel Valley Middle School-Peer Tutor Student Here are some testimonials from students in a middle school in Oceanside - � I enjoyed my yoga classes always "Because it is really fun and I get to do yoga with my friends" - Holly� I am doing better in school because "I'm not so tired in the morning and it feels like I can learn all day" - Holly� "My favorite part of the Sean O'Shea Foundation program was trying new foods and practicing yoga" - Ethan� Since I started practicing yoga...I am doing better in school "During math I get better grades now" -Patrick� Since I started practicing yoga...I am doing better in school. "When I was in language arts class I was able to get 100% on my test for concentrating and focusing". - Kaleb� Since I started practicing yoga...I am doing better in school. "I was very nervous for my test and when I did yoga, I was beginning to be calmer". - Mariaz� I enjoyed my yoga classes because "The teachers were great and experiencing yoga was great" - Kyia� "I enjoyed my yoga classes because now it seems like my life is balanced. Yoga is balancing my school life and personal life. In social studies I used to have a C and now I have a B" - Jasmine� Since I started practicing yoga...I am doing better in school "Because my brain is energized" - Benjamin� "Yoga has helped me stay more focused and I get better grades in science" - Kyle
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