As a community school director at C.S. 61 in the Bronx, Shannon Heffernan takes a holistic approach to student success. Helping children thrive, she believes, means pairing strong academics with enrichment opportunities, family supports, and the social-emotional tools students need to navigate daily challenges. 

A former dancer, Shannon knows firsthand how movement can support emotional well-being. Dance helped her manage stress, and when she later looked for new ways to decompress, she found yoga. 

“Once I stopped dancing and was trying to find other ways to connect with my mind and body, I discovered yoga,” she said. “I personally felt the benefits, and I thought about how this could work in our own community, in our own space.” 

Around the same time, Shannon learned about a program bringing yoga into Baltimore public schools as a way to support students’ focus and social-emotional well-being. Inspired by what she learned and her own experience, she began exploring how yoga and mindfulness could benefit students and families in her school community. 

Five years ago, while working at C.S. 211, another Children’s Aid community school in the Bronx, Shannon partnered with Sweet Water Dance & Yoga to introduce yoga and mindfulness programming. Saturday “Family and Me” classes gave children and parents an opportunity to practice mindfulness, manage stress, and build healthy routines together. 

When Shannon became community school director at C.S. 61 in 2023, she brought the partnership with her. Today, Sweet Water Dance & Yoga leads weekly yoga sessions during summer camp and monthly classes during the school year for students at the elementary school, which serves children from 3-K through fifth grade. 

“When I transitioned to C.S. 61, it was one of the partnerships that I really wanted to ensure that we built upon because it's something that I'm really passionate about,” Shannon said. “There are benefits when students feel calm and regulated. They're able to learn more.” 

The partnership has grown in response to what students and families say they want. Sweet Water Dance & Yoga has offered Zumba classes for parents, while student interest led to bachata, merengue, and hip hop dance classes. 

But some of the clearest signs of impact happen outside the class. 

“We've even heard some kids say, ‘All right, I need to be in a tree pose right now. I'm stressed.’” 

For Shannon, moments like these show that students are also developing practical strategies to recognize and manage their emotions. Student surveys also show strong interest in continuing the classes, with many reporting that they feel calmer after participating. This year, Shannon hopes to expand yoga and mindfulness through after-school programming. 

During Community School Coordinators Appreciation Week, Children’s Aid is highlighting leaders whose work brings the Community School Essentials Framework to life. Shannon’s approach reflects the framework’s emphasis on creating school communities where students experience belonging, safety, and care. 

At C.S. 61 that means treating emotional well-being as an important part of student success—and giving children tools they can carry with them well beyond yoga class. 

“I believe that yoga and mindfulness can help create a space that teaches students that they are allowed to express their emotions and have the tools and skills to manage those big emotions in a healthy way,” she said. “If we continue to create school environments where students feel not just physically safe but emotionally safe, we can create a space where they can be themselves and they know school is a place where they can belong and thrive.”