Gratitude, growth mindset and teamwork were themes of this year’s Chiefs Challenge Day at Berner Middle School. The annual character education program took place on Jan. 28 and included a full day of assemblies, workshops and discussions.
Seventh and eighth graders attended the “Ryan’s Story” presentation by John Halligan. He has spoken at schools across the country to share his powerful story about his son Ryan, who committed suicide at 14 as a result of bullying. Ms. Halligan’s message encouraged students to think about how they treat others, and he emphasized the role that bystanders can play to stand up for a bullying victim.
The Box Out Bullying assembly for sixth graders focused on appropriate social media conduct and gave students tools to navigate complex social dynamics and build healthy relationships. Students and teachers were called up to the stage during the interactive presentation.
All students participated in group discussion sessions following their respective assemblies to review the messages and talk about the steps they can take to contribute positively to the school community.
In classrooms, students participated in a pipe-cleaner teamwork challenge. The goal was to work collaboratively to build the tallest tower. For the growth mindset lesson, students watched a trio of Pixar videos, which was followed by a class discussion.
The famous failures escape room lesson focused on the hurdles that several celebrities faced and overcame to achieve success. Students worked in small groups to solve a series of clues. In the gratitude lesson, they discussed what it means to be grateful, then wrote thoughtful letters of thanks to important people in their lives.
The prior afternoon, students from the Chiefs Challenge Club prepared the building by hanging inspirational signs around the building. Many of the signs had quotes about inclusion, gratitude and growth mindset from famous figures like Jackie Robinson, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Seuss. Chiefs Challenge members also placed notes with positive messages on every locker in the school.
Chiefs Challenge co-advisers Caroline Glynn and Juliette Happe said that character education day has been taking place for nearly two decades. It started small with a video and couple of classroom lessons, before growing into the full-day experience it is today. They explained that the goal is for students to understand the power of their words, and recognize the impact of their words and actions on the school community.
During the last period of the day, all students participated in reflective activity, writing what they learned and how they can use this knowledge to make their school a better place.
“Chiefs Challenge Day is very important to spread awareness about the way people are treated,” eighth grader Karlye I. said. “Everyone should be treated equally and with kindness.”