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Start With Hello Week 2022 Award Winners

Beija and Raylin from Marshall Kendrick Middle School

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Congratulations to the Sandy Hook Promise Start With Hello Week award winners! We also want to thank everyone who applied! Our judges were impressed by your dedication to creating an inclusive school filled with students who make sure everyone belongs!

Sandy Hook Promise is grateful to have incredible people like you sharing the Start With Hello message in your schools throughout the year!

1st Place

Marshall Kendrick Middle School, Texas

The Kendrick Broncos had a jam-packed Start With Hello Week! Students did daily activities including “Take What You Need” boards where they could take sticky notes with positive and motivational quotes, and “Notice Others” Friday where students and staff all wore neon colors. Also, the students created an incredible video to show the power of Start With Hello for a new student! Overall, the school counselor noted that, “our Start With Hello Week was fun and promoted a culture where our students felt as though they have a second home here at Marshall Kendrick Middle School.”

Start With Hello – Kendrick Middle School 2022

2nd Place

Waterville Primary School, Ohio

Waterville Primary School’s Start With Hello Week was the first project for the newly sworn in 4th Grade Student Council representatives! They planned daily themes including “Thankful Thoughts” Thursday where students and staff wore shirts with upbeat messages “to promote a positive school climate based on gratitude and optimism.” The 4th Grade Student Council made sure to include families by offering a raffle for students to enter by submitting a Start With Hello Pledge that they took home and signed as a family! Additionally, activities welcomed the Waterville community by inviting them to lead small groups of students in discussions and activities!

Start With Hello Week – Waterville Primary School

3rd Place

Mountain View Elementary School, Massachusetts

The students and staff of Mountain View Elementary School kicked off Start With Hello Week with a dance party using a mashup of songs featuring the word “hello”! In addition to the school wide daily themes, classrooms and teachers had their own special activities including “Find the Good in Others” where students gave compliments to their classmates. Another activity asked students questions about kindness and inclusivity, and they answered with sticky notes on a bulletin board so the whole school could see the results. A group of students also performed “Alone” by Maya Angelou!

Saying Hello – Mountain View Elementary
Alone by Maya Angelou – Mountain View Elementary

Bring Start With Hello to Your Community

Start With Hello helps students and educators build a culture of inclusivity and empathy. Schools report reductions in bullying and other harmful behaviors after participating in the program. Also, educator feedback indicates increased emotional wellness of students after Start With Hello. With convenient online learning modules and dedicated support from our educational experts, this no-cost program can make your school safer and kinder.