Four years ago, Jaworek Elementary School Principal Ron Sanborn discovered Choose To Be Nice at a conference, and was immediately enamoured with the idea. Deciding that it would be a perfect fit with the district mandated Second Step Character Education Program currently used by the Marlborough, Massachusetts public schools, he enthusiastically shared the idea with Assistant Principal Kara Nowak.
Nowak hit the ground running, and brought Choose To Be Nice to Jaworek in a big way! The excitement of the 700 kindergarten through grade five students was palpable as they watched a Choose To Be Nice kick off video created by the school staff, and had the opportunity to sign the Choose To Be Nice banner themselves.
Give Me a High 5!
Students at Jaworek wait in joyful anticipation each month for the announcement of the Monthly High 5 Award winners. During September, each classroom teacher chooses a student who exemplifies the trait of the month. As the months of the school year progress, the past High 5 Award winners get to join the teacher in a Classroom Jamboree, and help to choose the student who exemplifies the next months character trait. By the end of the school year, a whole committee of peers is endowing the honor of being the High 5 Award winner upon their lucky classmates!
Positive Paws
Kids at Jaworek Elementary take great pride in paws! When students are caught showing one of the Choose To Be Nice character traits, they win Positive Paws for their classrooms. Once the school reaches a cumulative 500 Positive Paws, the entire school wins a prize, such as the ever popular Dance Party!
Small Nices
Even the little things are celebrated at Jaworek. Each week, a Weekly Nice is announced via a bulletin. The Weekly Nice is a simple prompt, like “Ask a friend how their weekend was!” Students and staff are encouraged the practice the Weekly Nice throughout their week. At the end of each week, they can easily see how much the simple acts of kindness have affected each and every one of them!
The Biggest Change
Perhaps the biggest change, says Nowak, hasn’t actually been in the students at all. “There has been a change in the way that the staff talks to the kids,” she explains. Instead of looking for unacceptable behaviors to fix, the staff has instead started to look for behaviors that are already great, and find ways to recognize them. This has in turn, boosted the morale of the students, and made Jaworek Elementary School a place where everyone really does try their best to Choose To Be Nice.