Danbury’s Shelter Rock School Makes the Sandy Hook Promise
Students at Shelter Rock School started their “call to action” week on Monday as part of their commitment to the anti-violence campaign, Sandy Hook Promise. The students gathered in the gymnasium to hear testimonials of fellow students, watch a video in which everyone contributed about the week’s activities and listen to a chorus of students sing about friendship. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in a mass shooting at a Newtown elementary school in December 2012.
“Compassion, courage, community and character,” was the theme as expressed by fifth grader Tanmay Patki, one of a panel of student who shared their positive experience at the school. Tanmay said he was embraced at the school and felt it was important that every student feel that way: “Reach out with a smile . . . show them you care. It’s that simple. All you have to do is start with hello.”
On Tuesday the school committed to a schoolwide pledge:
- Try to do an act of simple kindness each day
- To treat others the way I want to be treated
- To befriend someone wo seems to be alone, and
- To start each day with hello
On Wednesday, the students learned something know about someone they don’t know; Thursday is the mannequin challenge to promote friendship; and Friday is national “No One Eats Alone” day.
“It is really important for us, as a school community, to join together to promote kindness and friendship,” said Shelter Rock principal Dawn Bartz. “No child should ever feel alone or that there is no one who cares. By kicking this initiative off at Shelter Rock through an all-school assembly, we demonstrated that it really does take an entire village to help raise children. I want every child to feel that he or she is special and important and also a part of a much larger, caring community.”
Schools throughout the district have made “Start with Hello” a part of their daily routine. “Start with Hello” addresses social isolation, a growing epidemic in schools and across the country, and refers to the overwhelming feeling of being left out, lonely and treated as being invisible. Research supports that excessive feelings of isolation can be associated with violent and suicidal behavior. This program teaches students in grades two through 12 skills necessary to reach out and include those who may be dealing with chronic isolation. It empowers students to create a culture of inclusion and connectedness within their school.
Last year Pembroke School was one of eight schools to earn an honorable mention award from SHP selected from nearly 600 schools nationwide participating in the February SHP “Call-to-Action” week. Also last year, Broadview Middle School was awarded $10,000 for being named the top school in the nationwide initiative.