Hello Ouray School Community,
Please join us in celebrating World Kindness Day on Monday November 13th. Perform random acts of kindness. Check in on people. Compliment people. Thank each other. Donate. Volunteer. Spread Positivity. https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-kindness-day-2023/
Throughout the year, we are learning and practicing ways to be more kind and respectful to one another.
This second quarter, for Ouray Elementary School, our Second Step schoolwide theme is empathy. We'll be reminding students to have empathy, identify their own and others’ feelings, notice and respect same and different feelings, and show compassion. Compassion involves saying kind words or doing something helpful to show you care how another person feels. When students can identify, understand, and respond in a caring way to how someone else is feeling, it helps create a positive and accepting school climate. In our Elementary classes, Second Step lessons specifically teach about empathy.
In Ouray Middle School we are collaborating with Peer Kindness, a local organization: https://www.peerkindness.net/
Peer Kindness led an assembly with all of Ouray Middle School on 11/8/23 and will continue their work with individual classes of students for three Wednesdays: 11/29; 12/6; and 12/13. Talking points for these small group sessions:
- Deeper breakdown of Conflict vs. Bullying
- What change do students want to see happen from kids and adults?
- Bullying Circle activity
- Deep dive into the roles we play and how students can become Upstanders
- Reflection activity
- Opportunity to write their story.
- Student Vision & Voice
For Climb the Peak Day on 11/15/23, Ouray High School will dedicate that afternoon to community service. Students will join at least one of the following: a beautification committee; a trail work group; groups working at the public and school libraries; a miscellaneous school task group; and/or a community outreach group.
If you would like to learn more about any of what's described here, please reach out to school counselor Jaceson Cole, [email protected]
Kind regards,
Jaceson