The school community at Wilder Elementary dedicated this week to building connections among students and staff and creating an inclusive environment.
As part of Wilder’s Start with Hello week festivities, students participated in daily lessons and activities that encouraged them to connect with their school community. They talked about ways to reach out to someone who is alone. They read books featuring themes of kindness and inclusion. They learned how to say hello in different languages. They created postcards to their “family” teacher, who serves as another adult they can connect with in addition to their home teacher.
During International Peace Day on Tuesday, students, teachers and staff wore shirts with positive messages: Be Kind. Always Be a Nice Human. Kind is Cool. Believe There is Good in the World.
In one class, students contributed to a compliment jar by hand-writing positive notes to be later distributed to their peers. By Friday, each classroom completed their “Start with Hello” banners featuring students’ handprints and messages of kindness and love.
“This week is about friendship,” Principal Dr. Victoria Hazlett said. “We’re a school community, a classroom community with a sense of belonging to one another. We’re trying to build positive relationships among each other and with the staff.”
Created by the Sandy Hook Promise, the Start with Hello program has been an annual tradition at Wilder as well as other Westerville elementary schools.