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Union students make friends one hello at a time
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Pictured, from left, are Raina, Abbie, Taylor and Raymond, second-grade students, standing with Andre Elliott at the Start with Hello week assembly on Feb. 9 at Poland Union. The students volunteered to help Elliott with his presentation.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Elliott demonstrated different ice breakers with second-grade students, Abbie and Taylor. The ice breakers demonstrated were about how people can make others feel less isolated.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The students of Poland Union wore green on Feb. 9 as part of their Start with Hello week. The students had three days of events planned for Start with Hello.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Magistrate, Anthony D'Apolito, was the first to speak to the second-graders at Poland Union on Feb. 9. D'Apolito is a magistrate at the Mahoning County Juvenile Court.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Poland Union celebrated Start With Hello Week with an assembly on Feb. 9 for the second-graders. Union welcomed speakers Andre Elliott, Anthony D’Apolito and Karen Romano Melone of the Mahoning County Juvenile Court.
D’Apolito, a magistrate of the Juvenile Court, started off the program by speaking to the students about what he does at the Juvenile Court. He tried to explain how right versus wrong work and that people should always listen to what the little voice inside their head is saying is right.
After D’Apolito finished his speech, Elliott took over and began speaking about Sandy Hook and how the Start With Hello campaign began. The first thing he explained was the Three Steps. The first step is to see someone alone, the second is to reach out to help and the third is to start with hello.
Elliott brought up three of the second-graders to help him demonstrate the different icebreakers that are associated with the Three Steps.
Poland Elementary School Counselor Lauren Mechling was responsible for putting the Start With Hello Week together for Poland Union and Dobbins. Mechling got started with the Sandy Hook Promise last year when she was doing research on impactful, free resources for school counselors. She came across the Sandy Hook Promise and immediately felt a connection to their mission. She then became a Promise Leader.
“The purpose is to end social isolation and increase connectiveness,” said Mechling.
Mechling planned various activities throughout the week for the students at Poland Local Schools to celebrate Start With Hello Week. Students from each grade level interacted with each other on various levels to create a sense of connectivity between everyone.