COPPERAS COVE, TX (October 19, 2021)—Students and staff in Copperas Cove ISD dressed in a sea of orange on Wednesday as they celebrated Unity Day, a day of inclusion and kindness, that is including in October which is Bullying Prevention Month. But five young students at Clements/Parsons Elementary want the acts of kindness to continue throughout the school year—not just in October or during Start with Hello Week which is recognized districtwide each September.
Fifth graders Jaelynn Rogers, Olivia Tenpenny, Taya Torres, Phebe Smith, and Aleeah Villanueva created a club, The Helper Bees, with school permission. The club named was derived from the book, The Ways to Bee, that lists positive behaviors that are modeled through campus expectations. They include Bee Kind, Bee Your Best, and several others that encourage positive behavior and social interaction.
Tenpenny says the reason for starting the club is simple.
“We figured out that some people are just sad around us, and it made us sad,” Tenpenny said.
The female club members give up their recess time each to plan club activities. The girls maintain a notebook of ideas and plans to spread kindness.
“We can put positivity into the school so that we can help kids when they are taking tests or when they don't believe they can do something, and they can stand up for people,” said club member Jaelynn Rogers.
Activities include passing out Post-It notes with kind words on them, providing encouraging statements in writing to students, holding the door open for someone, giving a complement, introducing yourself to a new student, and more.
School music teacher, Kelly Thompson, was asked by the group to be the club sponsor.
“I am honored that they asked me to be their sponsor because I have watched these kids grow up. I have taught them since first grade, and what they are doing is so huge and is spreading quickly,” Thompson said. “They're making a real impact on the culture of their grade level and soon that will spill over to the rest of the school. This group of girls are proof that even a single act of kindness can make a big difference.”
Since the start of the club, acts of kindness are being demonstrated by students throughout the fifth grade.
“I feel like it's good because if everybody does that, the whole school will be filled with positivity,” said club member Phebe Smith.
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