Worley Pledges to Be Kind and “Stick” Together With the Help of Our Student Leadership Team

By Julie Addessi, Assistant Principal

As the 2022-2023 school year wound down, the Worley Elementary community participated in a fun and unique, long-standing tradition of an A to Z 26-Day Countdown to the last day of school. For students, families, and staff new to Worley, the fun begins with our Student Leadership Team and a calendar. Our student leaders met to decide what activities would help create an atmosphere of fun and help us stay focused on the learning that was still vital to finishing the year so strongly. Students and staff participated in Bulldog Day, College Day, Friend Day, Ice Pop Day, Neon Day, Popcorn Day, Yoga Day, and Kindness Day, all thanks to the planning of our student leaders.

Kindness Day was strengthened by our teachers implementing lessons from Be Kind - Stick Together, a free character education program offered to schools by Values-In-Education Foundation and Duck Tape to reinforce concepts of kindness and sticking together to prevent bullying and negative behaviors. The lessons end with students and staff pledging to “stick together” as they write their names on pieces of Duck Tape and post them together on a banner. The banner was hung in the cafeteria for students to see the power they hold to make our school a kind place to learn.

As our 6th-grade student leaders take their leadership skills to middle school, our 4th- and 5th-grade leaders await to step in and carry on our school’s tradition. We look forward to participating in this A to Z Countdown again next school year. And with each change in leadership, we can expect to see the influence of our new student leaders as they brainstorm new ways to recognize students and create a fun and engaging environment at Worley that places learning at the forefront.