Continuing this year’s Character Education theme of “Community,” February’s Berlin Elementary Character Education assembly focused on showing kindness in your community.
In both the kindergarten–2nd grade and 3rd–5th grade assemblies, the students talked about many scenarios of how to show kindness to others. Ms. Rontey’s 3rd graders also demonstrated through photos what kindness can look like and doesn’t look like.
During the 3rd–5th grade assembly Mrs. Stellar presented a video message from the Middle School Student Council. The middle school students, advised by Mrs. Gilbert, talked about the roles they have on the Student Council and the activities they take part in as council members.
It was an opportunity to hear from older Mountaineers about what possibilities in leadership and in giving back to the community are ahead for the elementary Mountaineers.
Mr. Shaw gave both assemblies an update on the “Be the Reason Someone Smiles Today!” bulletin board’s success over the last month. The bulletin board was created by the 4th-grade classrooms and Mr. Shaw, BES Family Liaison and Counselor.
The bulletin board had kind messages that students or staff could pull off throughout the month to give to someone (staff or student) for encouragement or simply to brighten their day.
It was a great success and many notes of kindness and encouragement were given out. So many in fact that it was hard to keep up with refilling the board each day.
Near the conclusion of the assembly BES Principal Kent shared a Kindness Calendar with the students. The Kindness Calendar is a prompt for students to engage in random acts of kindness daily. Mrs. Kent encouraged the Mountaineers to show kindness to their community not only during February, but all year round.
Since the assembly, the “Kindness Calendar” has generated many kind acts, including one by second-grader Jameson Murphy, who inspired several of his classmates to join him in creating artwork with kind messages as a surprise for Principal Kent during recess.
The BES assemblies concluded with Principal Kent announcing the monthly Mountaineer Merit awards and teacher-nominated Classroom Community Member awards.
Classroom Community Members are students nominated for showing good citizenship and being responsible, safe and respectful.
February’s Classroom Community Members
Iris Burnell, Paisley Murphy, Addelyn Connerton, Averi Theoret, Zakk Hankey, Ava Von Schilgen, Stanton Murray, Marissa Childs, Robert Kells, Madison Miner, Jase Matthews, Phoebe Brooks, Maya Sykes-Gundlach, Alex Cerniglia, Greyson Sorbello, Jameson Hawkins, Messyah Crandall and Liam Killeen
February’s Mountaineer Merits
Being a Mountaineer means being responsible, safe and respectful. Merits are given out throughout the month by BES staff and bus drivers to celebrate students who demonstrate these traits. These students are given merits that are deposited in the Mountaineer Merit container found in the main hallway.
At the assembly each month, Principal Kent draws ten merit recipients (five from kindergarten to second grade and five from third to fifth grade) who receive a prize.
Katharine Garner, Brady Goebel, Addyson Niegoda, Madison Miner, Mase Lewis, Taylor Doty, Brave Morstad, Addelyn Connerton and Elizah Harrison