Seeds of Positivity
What a Year!
This year has been challenging for our entire community. But throughout this pandemic there have been many silver linings. As we move forward towards a new year our students and staff have taken time to reflect on their successes, and to take time to plants seeds of positivity. It is said that "difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations!"
Sargent Elementary
"Look How We Have Grown From What We Have Gained" was an activity that Sargent worked on for their Seeds of Positivity project. Each student was able to share a photo and message about how they have grown during this year. From the Sargent guidance counselor Jillian Connally: "These videos serve as an important reminder of how much we have all overcome this year. Through perseverance and teamwork we have become a stronger, more united Sargent community, and all students and staff should be so proud of their accomplishments!"
Below are the links to the videos for each grade level:
NAHS Interact Club
The Interact Club planned a Tree Planting Fundraiser in partnership with Tree-Plenish. On April 24th they worked to plant 342 trees to offset the paper usage of NAHS! Tree saplings came in three varieties: Red Maple, River Birch, and Eastern Redbud. The Interact Club also have received donations from gracious North Andover community members and will be planting 123 donated trees in various green spaces across town. What great way to "Plant Seeds of Positivity" around North Andover!
Kittredge Elementary
Kittredge created an activity tied to one of the District's SEL competencies: growth mindset! They connected this core competency directly to our experiences during the pandemic. They taught lessons on growth mindset and then asked kids to reflect on how they have learned to be resilient. The kids all made positivity posters which are being shared on the North Andover CAM network and on Twitter. Make sure to follow them at @KindKangaroos
Thomson Elementary
Thomson created a wall of positivity posters that the students created, sharing what they have learned and how they've grown in a positive way because of the pandemic. They chose a word that captured their growth, wrote it on the stem and then on the leaves of the stem, wrote things they have gained over the past year. For example, one student chose the word knowledge and on each leaf wrote: learned to sew, learned about computers, etc.
NAHS Asian Pacific Islanders Club
Students Linzie Truong and Chloe Kim were recently interviewed on the Youth Centered Podcast with Rick Gorman of the NA Youth Center. They talk about how they founded the API club, how their club has been affected by the pandemic, and how they are trying to counteract the rise in anti-Asian hate.
North Andover Poet Laureate Committee
On May 22nd the North Andover Poet Laureate Committee had the awards celebration for the Anne Bradstreet Poetry Contest on the North Andover Common. The 17 school age and adult winners and finalists read their poems. They did a wonderful job, sharing their poems on the theme "A New Vision for America - What Is Your Dream?". It was a great town-wide celebration of poetry, and was a good opportunity for us to come together, and hear the thoughts of all members of our community, to understand one another, to connect, to relate. See all of the winners here.