Kindness can be as simple as saying 'hello'

I wanted to say hello and welcome everyone back to the 2018-2019 school year. It is time to dry off from the pool, grab the backpack and head back to school.

The first day of school brings great excitement for many students as they prepare to start a new school year. Most kids are excited to see their old friends, begin new friendships, bring in their supplies, and meet their teachers. There is an incredible feeling of community and belonging that occurs for the vast majority of students.

Our goal in District 41 is to ensure all students are part of a trusting, caring community each day they walk into our schools and classrooms. A community is about belonging - belonging to a family, a group of friends, a team, a classroom, a friend, a teacher. Helping every child feel like they belong and are included in a community that supports them is critical for our students' overall emotional health and academic success.

The reality is growing up is sometimes really hard. I know every kid has, at one time or another, felt like they did not belong, were isolated or felt like they were less than others around them. Our staff is working every day to ensure our students have an adult who they can speak with, a friend they can hang out with, and teachers they trust. These are some of the most important goals we set as a district.

I am writing to our community to ask you to stand with Glen Ellyn School District 41 to support the students in all our communities who do not feel like they belong, who are isolated or who are not included. Life has many challenges, but I want all students to know they belong to a community that will stand with them and help them learn to navigate the path. Every child needs to know kindness - to offer kindness and to receive kindness each day.

As a district, we are very proud of our Long-Range Plan. Part of our LRP is our Student Profile, which are the characteristics we want all of our students to embody. Being kind is one of the seven attributes we identified in our profile.

Kindness is about giving of yourself to others. It is something that must be taught, modeled and reinforced for our students on a daily basis. We need our students to know we must stand up for each other and help those who need assistance. We need to help those who are different from us and we need to care for each other. I am asking for our communities to stand with me as we model kindness for our students. We model this through our actions:

• Offer a hand when someone is down

• Welcome people

• Say hello

• Smile

• Listen to others

• Be caring

• Be generous

One way District 41 is getting involved in spreading kindness is through joining the Sandy Hook Promise, along with hundreds of schools and youth organizations across the United States, to participate in "Start With Hello Week." The goal is to teach students the skills they need to create a culture of inclusion and connectedness, and encourage them to reach out to other students and peers who may be dealing with social isolation. Making a difference could be as simple as saying "hello."

Kindness is an excellent way of building a robust and vibrant community that includes everyone. Throughout the school year, I will be reaching out to our community to share stories of kindness and opportunities for involvement.

I hope everyone has a fantastic start to the school year.

Be kind.