"Be Part of This World and Not Just in It" is the motto that Kristi Nelson's first-grade students at Bird Rock Elementary practice each and every day.
The students have taken part in community outreach efforts that include gathering school supplies for students in Houston after the floods, to gathering clothes for needy children, raising funds for endangered animals and caroling for local businesses and senior centers.
"I believe it is extremely important to teach the whole child," said Ms. Nelson. "I value the human spirit and the development of the whole child-physical, social, emotional and cognitive. In our ever-changing fast-paced world, we need to slow down and think ‘what can we do to help?'"
The students are learning the importance of contributing to their community and the world around them & and the lessons are making an impact. Asked why it is important to actually "live" their motto, students responded like this:
- "It makes you a better person because you are being kind and helping. You are not just caring about yourself."
- "It makes your heart happy. A happy heart jumps rope…"
- "You are doing good for the world"
- "You make the world a better place to live. You can almost do anything to help in your community or world; you don't have to ask as long as it's helping"
- "We should help our whole life, even as adults, because others might see you and then they might help too."
- "We can encourage other teachers/students we might see to try to do some community/world outreach and their heart might smile too."
- "We had our parents help us and now they feel just as good. They have seen the smiles on faces and it makes them happy."
For more information about Ms. Nelson and her students' outreach efforts, email Ms. Nelson at [email protected].