(MAY 2022) —Willow Road Elementary School in the Valley Stream UFSD Thirteen is a major proponent of positive character development! Every month, the school focuses on one character trait to incorporate into lesson plans. Some of the traits they will be using throughout the course of the year are compassion, respect, responsibility, conscientiousness, and this month, taking initiative.
For the month of May, Willow Road Elementary School will be focusing on taking initiative. The goal is for everyone to practice in the classroom and in their everyday lives. Initiative means the power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do.
Willow Road Elementary School students read The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi. The book is a heartwarming story about a new student in school and how she learns to appreciate her Korean name. In the beginning Unhei was anxious about fitting in and worried that nobody would be able to pronounce her name. Instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she decided to choose an American name from a glass jar. This book was the perfect book for their book of the month since May is Asian Pacific American Heritage month and initiative was shown in the story.
May is also Mental Health Awareness month. Willow Road Elementary School took the initiative to be a little kinder for this month by creating a Meaningful May calendar. Throughout the month of May, the students take the initiative to do something to make an impact on someone’s day or on themselves. Some of the activities on the calendar include sending a handwritten note to someone they care about, reflecting on what makes them feel valued and purposeful, sharing a quote they find inspiring to give others a boost, or doing something to contribute to their local community.
