Lee Road Classes Joined to
"Burn" Hurtful Words
October 22, 2007

Ms. Seewald's first grade and Ms. Kelly's fourth grade met to reinforce Lee Road's Get-A-Voice Program. This character education program is designed to empower students to use positive language and behavior to create a respectful school, home, and community environment. First graders and fourth graders met to brainstorm some hurtful language. Hurtful language ideas came from unkind words directed to them, unkind words that were directed to someone else, and unkind words used by them to hurt others. Each group came up with a list of hurtful words, and students gathered around a symbolic paper "campfire." Each group read their hurtful words aloud, and then threw them into the center of the "fire." The act of physically discarding the hurtful words helped students make important connections to the Get-A-Voice ideas. Each class promised to try to eliminate these hurtful words by doing their best to not say them, and by doing their best to stand up and say something when these unkind words are being used by others.