Academics, belonging, and social
awareness are all components of our daily work with students. As educators it’s
our hope and desire that once students leave our school (elementary, middle, or
high), they will be firmly grounded with our core values. IF students leave our
schools with a positive self-esteem, great relationships with peers and staff,
and a solid understanding of academics, then we’ve prepared them for whatever
the future holds for them.
In mid-January two of our
alumni (Marissa and Ally) contacted me. They wanted to “pitch” an idea for the
middle school. We checked our calendars and a meeting was set. Marissa and Ally
explained that they wanted to allow the middle school students to express
themselves, to assert their self-esteem by sharing how they feel about
themselves. To let others know the real “ME”. They explained that the “This is
ME project would allow the middle school students to bring this idea to
fruition. This project also worked in conjunction with their Girl Scouts Action
Project. More importantly, they wanted to celebrate middle school self-esteem!
So they created a Prezi to
let our teachers know about the project and how it would be implemented here at
Francis Howell Middle School. Our teachers presented this information to their
students during a Character Connection Class. Each student was given three 3x5 cards.
On those cards they wrote one word descriptions of themselves. These cards
eventually made it to the “This is ME” display in our gymnasium lobby.
What a great idea….allow the
students to share, showcase, and celebrate who they are. We talk about this, we
consider doing this, and then two former students approach you about this idea
and then it becomes a reality. It was exciting being able to sit back and watch
this project unfold. These two alumni worked
with our Character Education Committee and did all the work to bring the
project to our school. Thinking not of themselves, but instead of the
self-esteem of each of our 840 students at Francis Howell Middle School, Marissa
and Ally took their vision from “just an idea” to “reality”.
So the next time current or
former students approach you with an idea for your school, make sure you clear
your calendar and set aside time to hear how they can help make a positive and
life-long impact on your school community!
