To help these school kids deal with trauma, mindfulness lessons over the loudspeaker

A student named Royce closes his eyes during a mindfulness session in class at Patricia J. Sullivan Partnership School in Tampa, Fla. Students say the daily lessons help them cope with their feelings. (Octavio Jones for NPR)

TAMPA, Fla. — At 8:30 a.m. on a sunny winter day, the cafeteria tables at the Patricia J. Sullivan Partnership Elementary School are packed. Dozens of students – from kindergarten through the fifth grade – are hanging out, catching up and eating today's breakfast of apple strudel, fruit juice, banana and milk.

School principal Dave McMeen is in constant motion. He's greeting students, picking wrappers and banana peels off the floor and lining up the kids to send them off to class.