Elementary school students from the Southern Berkshire Regional School District recently joined forces with Mount Everett High School students to create and send holiday greeting cards to local senior citizens. This student-led initiative, born out of a 4th and 5th-grade advisory council meeting, aims to bring comfort and company to seniors during the holiday season. The holiday cards were handmade by students, and sent out the week before school vacation.
Mount Everett National Honor Society Advisor Kim Simpson-Gomes asked NHS students from the high school to help the elementary students with their plan. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
“This was such a great experience for our students,” said Simpson-Gomes. “I feel that raising our student’s voices is important because it shows children that they can impact change. Students feel empowered, and become even more invested in their school and community when they feel like what they do and say matters.”
This plan led by the district’s students aligns seamlessly with the Southern Berkshire Regional School District's broader efforts to prioritize student-led initiatives and amplify the voices of its students. In addition to encouraging more student engagement like this project over the past few years, the district has recently started participating in the Transcend Rural Schools Cohort. The Transcend cohort aims to involve the entire school community while working to improve upon the district’s current educational plans.
“Through this student-led initiative, our district’s students have shown strong skills in leadership, empathy, and compassion,” said Superintendent Dr. Beth Regulbuto. “As part of the work we are doing to reimagine education with the Transcend Rural Cohort and our community, one of our goals is to raise our student voice and increase student-led initiatives. Our Strategy for Continuous Improvement also recognizes the importance of empowering students through student-centered work.”
For more information about SBRSD’s partnership with Transcend you can visit, https://www.sbrsd.org/page/transcend-partnership.