Start With Hello Week
From September 23rd through 27th, Aaron School 30th Street participated in Start With Hello Week, an initiative created by the Sandy Hook Promise to promote student inclusiveness, a positive school community, and violence prevention. The counseling team facilitated activities to reinforce a culture of inclusion and connectedness among faculty and students, as well as to promote tolerance and acceptance. The week began with Name Tag Day on Monday, where students and faculty wore name tags and were encouraged to “say hello” to someone they did not know. Members of the 30th Street community enjoyed saying hello to people throughout the day, and even in different languages! Hola, Bonjour, and Ciao were among some of the phrases used to greet faculty and students.
On Tuesday, students were encouraged to sit with someone new at lunch and asked each other “Get to Know You” and “Would You Rather” questions. Students were also encouraged to look around the cafeteria and invite students to their table if they were sitting alone. With Wednesday’s focus on kindness, students and faculty wrote positive messages and notes of encouragement on an interactive bulletin board. Some of the notes included, “if you just say hi to someone, it can make their day a lot brighter,” “just be yourself,” “things get better,” “we can change the world,” and “be an amazing person.”
On Thursday and Friday, students participated in activities to promote inclusivity and diversity. They played a game where they shared characteristics about themselves that their peers may not have known, as well as completed an activity using a picture of an iceberg, and discussed specific characteristics that are visible on the outside and ones that are more below the surface. Overall, 30th Street had another successful Start With Hello Week and continues to support the Sandy Hook Promise programs in any way we can.