Island Park students care about kindness

Good character is a year-round commitment in Island Park schools that was recently emphasized during No Name-Calling Week. From Jan. 19-22, students participated in a variety of activities that promoted awareness of the impact of words and the importance of having compassion for others.

Lincoln Orens Middle School counselor Andrea Porzelt and social worker Allison Janofsky and Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School psychologist Colleen Kunz and social worker Felicita Carranza coordinated initiatives that focused on positive behaviors and actions.  

Both buildings featured theme days based on the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Students and staff members dressed in colors representative of these qualities and students signed No Name-Calling Week Pledges. The six pillars were on display in the hallways to further instill a positive learning environment and culture of kindness in each school. 

Lincoln Orens students listened to daily announcements about the theme’s importance and also listened to a No Name-Calling Week poem written by Student Council members. At Hegarty, Ms. Kunz and Ms. Carranza provided lessons on accepting differences, diversity and kindness. Physical Education teachers led discussions on sportsmanship, respect and fairness, and books on bullying prevention were available in the library. The elementary students also created No Name Calling posters that were showcased on a bulletin board in the school hallway.  

 

Photo Captions:

 

FXH 1&2: Students signed the No Name Calling pledge at Francis X. Hegarty School.

FXH3: School Social Worker Colleen Kunz presented the No Name Calling Pledge to a class at Hegarty.

LOMS: Lincoln Orens Middle School students signed a No Name Calling pledge and displayed the Six Pillars of Character. 

 

Photos courtesy of Island Park Public Schools