Members of The Thurston Middle School Choose To Be Nice Club.
The best part of being a part of Choose To Be Nice is seeing things actually be put into action.
I had the great pleasure recently of visiting The Thurston Middle School’s Choose To Be Nice Club. These students meet once a month after school to come up with and follow through on plans.
The meetings are led by their guidance counselor, Mr. Bushey. He introduced me and let me talk with the 25 or so students before the formal meeting got started. Their enthusiasm reminded me of why I’m so passionate about the Choose To Be Nice message. These students really understand the importance of what they’re doing…….making a difference.
Instagram Promises
During the formal meeting, they discussed everything from an update to their kindness challenge to agreeing to get at least 100 new followers on their official club Instagram account by next month’s meeting. You can help them out by following them at https://www.instagram.com/tmsctbn/.
Square Root Food Drive
They also sorted and bagged food that classrooms donated for their special Square Root Day Food Drive. Wait a minute, I thought. What was Square Root Day and what did I miss? Well, for all you math lovers out there Square Root Day, as originally coined by retired California teacher Ron Gordon in 1981, was April 4, 2016….4/4/16…4*4=16. Get it? Hey, a food drive in honor of Square Root Day? Why not?
The Choose To Be Nice Club partnered with the Math Department to benefit the Westwood Food Pantry. Students were asked to donate items in their math classrooms, such as juice, canned/jarred fruits, tea, cleaning supplies, and health and beauty products. The 32 members of the Club wrote up flyers to be posted around the school and read morning announcements to get the word out. Then, they collected, sorted and delivered items to the food pantry. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Lots of bins with lots of donations
Choose To Be Nice in Schools
These students are living out the promise that they made. They’re making a real difference in their community. They’re helping others and serving as role models in the process. That’s what our Choose To Be Nice School program is all about. We’ve created a program that enables schools to engage students in choosing to be nice.
Our program includes a student-centered learning activity guide for K-2, that has been designed and tested by educators, and provides valuable and engaging lessons that teach lifelong skills of resilience, empathy and awareness to help children cope with the challenges and changes of life. Also included will be an engaging learning activity guide for grades 3-5, which is currently in development. Choose To Be Nice schools get access to a host of additional perks, Choose To Be Nice gear, wearable collectibles, and inspiring tools, to help students and teachers spread the word and make a difference at school, at home, and in their community all year long.
If you are a teacher or administrator, or know someone who is, I would love to send over more information about how this program can make a difference in your schools. We’re promoting our program for the 2016/2017 school year now. This really is an exciting opportunity.