First of all, thank you for your continuous efforts to show this materialistic world how to make it a better place - without a great deal of money.
I am a Character Education Committee chair at my school, Lufkin Road Middle School in Apex, NC. We got some cards from you a couple of years ago, which helped us improve our climate. As you know teachers are under a lot of stress with the current "No Child Left Behind" and high-stake testing.
But, here is an idea I'd like tos hare with you. Every month we celebrate a particular trait, but we know very well that it is a sum of all admirable traits that make a person a good human being.
This month students and I have designed a huge treasure chest and gems made of paper, which we found on the Internet and drew ourselves. We put them on a desk next to the chest mural, togetehr with a stapler and pens. We encourage the entire school to display "a gem" for someone who strikes them as a person who displays good judgment in particular.
The gem gallery is growing. Some messages are for friends, others for teachers. This is a simple and inexpensive way of making someone's day. It does warm up your heart to see that you do make a difference in someone's life.
Moreover, students are also learning about different gems, their hardness and colors. Alliteration in the title of this initiative, Gems of Good Judgment, G-G reminds them of what they need to know for the End-of-Year Test in Language Arts.
