Cards for the Lunch LadiesWe are at the end of the quarter and had some extra time. We decided on making the lunch ladies some cards as well. We went down to the office and got everyone's names. We then, came back up to Mr. Large's room to decorate and put in encouraging notes that we paper clipped into each card. Finally, we delivered them in person instead of putting the cards into their mailboxes. What I Have LearnedThese notes have helped me notice that many students are dealing with their own problems. Most people don't understand that a lot of students put a mask on (figuratively and now literally) and pretend everything is fine. Reading through their comments, a majority of the students were struggling with self-confidence, rough home life and schoolwork. This pandemic definitely added more pressure and stress onto all students. These cards helped me realize that everyone is dealing with something and I want to remind everyone that 'It doesn't cost anything to be nice.'
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We have finally finished the Random Acts of Kindness. After 6 weeks of hard work and dedication, we wrote over 100 letters to students and staff. For the front of the cards we tried to draw something they are interested in. We did sports, animals and places. If we couldn't think of anything to draw, we drew something for the class they teach. Though this project took some time, I am glad we were able to do it. We encouraged and gave strength to many students and staff during this enduring times. I'm happy they turned out the way they did :) Next we will be focusing on Disability Awareness. We finished the cards for the students the other day, so it was now time to start the cards for the staff! Liz, with her amazing talent, did the drawings in the front. I cut the cards and prepared them. Kendall glued the Remind message on them. After finishing around 20 of them, we began to write all the letters. Once we were done with that, I brought them down to the office and put them in the teachers mailboxes. This was a great start and we are already half way done with the teachers. After we are done with the teachers we will do the counselors, secretaries, lunch ladies and janitors.
The StartLiz Roth, Kendal Mann and I are continuing on a project that started two years ago by Haley Harrison and Natalie Cramer. The purpose of Random Acts of Kindness is to help spread positivity throughout the high school and hopefully through the junior high. Natalie and Haley originally started by writing letters to the freshman who were struggling with confidence or just needed encouragement. The following year another group of seniors did it as well. This year, we decided to change it up a bit. Instead of just making cards for the freshman, we sent out a student questionnaire to all grades. As we continue on, we are making cards for all of the high school faculty. We are hoping to be able to move this project into the junior high, as well. Students and staff need a lot of encouragement right now due to the circumstances. With corona making students quarantine, it is more difficult for kids to stay positive especially if they don't have a good home life. With the students who are quarantining or are doing online school, we are sending them cards, thanks to Mr. Large. We are trying our absolute best to bring a little bit of light into these people's lives. My group ended up choosing this project because we know that right now is very challenging for the students and teachers. We all love writing letters and Liz loves painting and using her artistic skills. A lot of people may not see this project as important because it's just a simple card, but we all see it as something little can make a huge impact. This may not help everyone, but we are hoping it makes an impact on just a few students. According to massgeneral.org, it says "The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that a third of Americans show signs of clinical depression and anxiety. These and other mental conditions are becoming amplified during the recent pandemic, while COVID-19 patients and their families are also at high risk to develop depression and anxiety." So now more than ever, students need as much encouragement as they can get. Proposal and Pitch DayWe presented our idea to administration, explaining what we are doing, how we are doing it and how it'll work due to COVID. Our slogan is 'It doesn't cost anything to be nice.' We haven't spent any money on this project. Mr. Large had colorful paper, stamps, and glue for us to use. When we are running short on paint, we borrow some from Mr. Gaw and Jesi Hall gave us stamps she doesn't use anymore. We explained that we are writing these letters to help brighten a student or teachers' day. The goal is to help even more if we go virtual, many students have rough home lives and they'll need encouragement even more. We are doing this to help people know that they are loved, even when they feel like they aren't. Our resources have been Mr. Large, guidance and Mr. Voelz. We told them that we made a student questionnaire that Mr. Large sent out and students can fill it out if they wanted to. As of right now, we have over 40 responses. We also started a Remind, one of us sends out an encouraging quote or picture every day. One thing we are going to start working on is that Mrs. Fangman brought up the idea of filling out a form if you think a friend needs the encouragement. We are not sure on how we are going to do that yet, but it will definitely be figured out soon!
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AuthorI am a Senior in Service Learning with Mr. Large. We are learning on how to improve our school and community. Archives
October 2020
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