The Mind & Body Mentor
Welcome to this week’s edition of our Passion Project Series, where we highlight staff members who bring wellness, resilience, and intentionality to our school communities. In this installment of the series, The Mind & Body Mentor, we showcase three dedicated educators who integrate mental grounding, emotional regulation, and physical movement into the lives of their students every day.
Ayize Henderson-Kelsaw – Achievement & Behavior Support Specialist, East Arbor
Ayize Henderson-Kelsaw’s journey to East Arbor Charter Academy began after working in brain injury rehabilitation, where a former colleague reached out about an open behavior specialist role. Today, his work requires immense emotional energy, which he balances through reading, studying philosophy, and diving into new topics online to reset. His approach with students centers around three core principles: being present, doing quality work, and communicating appropriately.
When high-stress moments occur in the building, Henderson-Kelsaw relies on physical and mental pauses, such as walking breaks around the hallway or trips outside, to help students break away from immediate triggers.
"It just kind of gets them in a new area which allows the brain to kind of reset and say, 'You know what? I'm not in a threatening situation right now. I can start to calm down,'" he explains.
He also uses deep breathing to restore balance.
"If people are really feeling something really intense on the inside, it's just a good way to get them to start to really access that vagus nerve and kind of bring their body into a little bit more balance."
Henderson-Kelsaw also designs hands-on, creative activities like "Complicatrix", a competitive matching game he invented, and an artistic visualization called "the pool".
For students who struggle to express themselves directly, he uses sensory tools or a collection of donated stuffed animals, including an angry-looking bear named "Grumpy Bear," as an emotional avatar.
"He can't talk and so we get the student to talk for grumpy bear to help explain their own emotions through the avatar of the bear." he notes.
As students gain confidence and academic stamina, Henderson-Kelsaw intentionally fades his support. Reflecting on his long-term impact and his passion for the work, he points to the school's leadership, Moral Focus™, and belief in his students.
"I have a fundamental belief that there's no such thing as bad kids and that everybody can find their place in our society regardless of how rough their start is."
Pamela McKenzie – Achievement & Behavior Support Specialist, Fortis
Now in her 11th year at Fortis, Pamela McKenzie’s path to mindfulness began in her second year when her principal recommended a mindfulness training program. Unlike typical professional development, the experience focused on practical application.
Her enthusiasm led to test-piloting mindfulness programs like Inner Explorer and authoring a weekly internal mindfulness blog for staff members for over five years. McKenzie infuses mindfulness throughout her own personal routine, setting a 5:00 AM alarm every morning to secure quiet time before her household wakes up.
"That's the time I just sit and just take those deep breaths and do that gratitude list. I think about what kind of day I want to have with that positive mindset." she shares.
In the classroom, McKenzie introduces even the youngest learners to complex concepts.
"The first mindfulness lesson is I teach them big words. We learn the big brain words," she explains. She frames it with excitement, telling kindergarteners: "I didn't get to learn this until college, so go home today and tell your parents you were in college. You're going to learn about the amygdala today."
For McKenzie, the most rewarding part of her work is seeing students apply these techniques independently and extend support to their peers.
"Being able to watch a student that I've worked with for two or three years be able to then go and notice somebody else needs that support and go step in and go sit and say, 'Hey, let's take a breath together.'" she says. "They've built their own toolbox and now they're going to use it to help others."
Genevieve "Maile" Tansel – Volleyball Coach & Paraprofessional, Oakside
Genevieve "Maile" Tansel grew up surrounded by the school environment, stepping into coaching shortly after high school to stay connected to athletics when COVID disrupted her senior sports season. Now in her second year coaching varsity volleyball at Oakside, alongside coaching middle school teams and boys' volleyball, Tansel recently incorporated a team book study on “The Champion's Mind” to help her high school athletes build mental toughness and navigate pressure.
Tansel recognized that many older players struggled with self-confidence and a fear of failure on the court.
"Volleyball is very quick and if you make one mistake and your headspace is filled with thoughts of failure, then it just carries over through every point," Tansel explains. "So, we've been really focusing on if you make a mistake, that just means that you have to fix it the next point."
To reinforce perseverance and unity, Tansel uses interactive team-building drills and invites middle school managers, including a fifth grader, to join practices and the book study.
"I just wanted to include my managers in the book study, not only in the season so that they are able to realize that they don't have to wait until senior year or to be in high school to develop as an athlete," she says. "They can develop qualities of a winner, of a champion."
Tansel leads by example through authentic communication and personal encouragement, such as making goodie bags for her players with inspiring messages.
"Something that my Nana used to say was, 'I have all the faith in the world in you,'" she shared. "I wrote that on everybody's bag, just little things like that to show them they have support and encouragement."
Ultimately, her dedication is fueled by watching her players evolve over time. "I coached some of my seniors since they were in seventh grade and eighth grade. So, it's just like I've seen them grow a lot, not only on the court, but just as young people as well."
