Meditation or “Quiet Time” has been implemented in several San Francisco schools. Twice a day, middle school students who normally can’t sit still for longer than 10 seconds, shut their eyes and try to clear their minds. This stress reduction strategy is making a positive difference. Visitacion Valley Middle School is in a neighborhood where gunfire is as common as birdsong and murders are so frequent that the school employs a full-time grief counselor. With such violence it’s not surprising that academics suffer. The school tried everything, from counseling and peer support to after-school tutoring and sports, but to disappointingly little effect. In the first year of “Quiet Time”, these students are doing light-years better. Within four years, the number of suspensions fell by 45 percent, the suspension rate was among the lowest in the city, daily attendance rates climbed to 98 percent, well above the citywide average, and grade point averages improved markedly. Remarkably, in the annual California Healthy Kids Survey, these middle school youngsters recorded the highest happiness levels in San Francisco. Will “Quiet Time” make it east of San Fran? We’re not sure, but this piece made for interesting reading.