Having Each Other’s Backs at Northport Middle School

From Northport Schools:To continue building a climate of kindness and acceptance at school, the Northport Middle School Community Service Club worked together to get their peers thinking about what it means to show respect, compassion and tolerance towards one another on April 9.

In partnership with the No Place for Hate Initiative, students came up with the idea to beautify their school with positivity when they were talking candidly at one of their weekly meetings. Students decided to paint the words respect, compassion and tolerance on three separate canvases and to invite students from each grade level to write what those words mean. That way, their peers would actively be thinking about kindness. “Many students have vocalized that middle school is a lot harder, emotionally, than elementary school,” said Danielle Cardinale, one of the club’s advisers. “And they came up with this idea while talking about how to encourage and remind everyone to be kind on a daily basis.” During each lunch period, students were invited to come down to the art room and add to the grade-level’s canvas. Many students were lost in thoughtful contemplation as they added to each canvas, including song lyrics, quotes and photos along with original thoughts. When completed, canvases will be hung in the cafeteria.

“Compassion can be having other people’s backs and helping them get back up after getting knocked down by life,” said Northport Middle School seventh grader Winnie. “And it’s so important to remember sometimes you really have no idea what someone else is going through.”