By Crystal Hayduk, photos by Julia Schachinger
It takes a compelling event to hold the rapt attention of nearly 900 individuals in a darkened auditorium, but it happened twice at Chelsea High School (CHS) – on Feb. 13 and April 5 when eight teachers spoke from their hearts about their personal “why.”
The assemblies were the 2018 expansion of last year’s #WhyYouMatter campaign, which has since been adopted by a number of schools around the state and across the nation. (See this link for information on the 2017 campaign.)
Art teacher Laura Naar said they wanted to do something this year that would benefit students long-term. “We remembered that [Principal Mike] Kapolka had done a professional development talk a couple of years ago where he asked, ‘What’s your why?’” she said.
“We talked with the students who are part of the #WhyYouMatter committee and decided to use the idea of purposeful learning and having a growth mindset to get over the everyday hurdles that we all face,” Naar said.
The students nominated the teachers who took the spotlight. The speakers and their message themes are as follows:
Laura Lutz – life’s driving purpose is to “bear witness of people’s lives – to really listen because your story matters.”
Matt Pedlow – spent his young adult years lacking purpose, but eventually discovered it; reassured students that their “why” awaits them and they will find it.
Lonnie Mitchell – used word pictures to emphasize the importance of good friends who are supportive.
John Zainea – described what he learned about finding joy by being present in the moment during his “Summer of 1,000 Seeds.”
Luman Strong – implored students to “dive deep” to answer “who am I and what’s the big picture? Only you can answer these for you.”
Mark Moundros – analyzed happiness and love. “Pursuing temporary happiness always ends in disappointment. True love is not an emotion, but a decision.”
Adam Taylor – shared his personal story of risk and failure that led to growth. “Don’t be afraid to risk failure. We grow when we risk the unknown.”
Rachel Wismont – warned about the danger of comparisons because every individual’s “process is unique.” It’s possible to be “perfect just the way you are and yet still need some work.”
On April 5, Counselor Jason Murphy addressed the students at the start of the assembly, which had been postponed six weeks following the death of sophomore Christopher Gingell on Feb. 15.
He acknowledged that the students are grieving and in pain over the loss of their friend and urged them to “be aware and empathetic” to the needs of others.
After the assembly, many students described the talks as “inspirational.” One student said, “They helped me to be able to see them as real people with real lives and problems. They’re not just teachers.”
Another student said, “After hearing them, I think they really do care about us, and maybe we can talk to them about our problems.”
This year’s art project for the campaign consists of more than 2,700 banners, representing the thoughts of every student and staff member in the Chelsea School District. Later this spring, they will be hung around the downtown area and the schools.
For the last three months, volunteers have been hard at work preparing the 8×6 inch off-white cotton fabric, which will be uniquely decorated with words or images.
According to Murphy, the banners are modeled after Tibetan prayer flags, which have unfinished edges. It is said that good thoughts illustrated on the flag travel through the threads by the wind to be spread throughout the world.
Students at CHS and Beach Middle School were asked to write or draw the answer to the question, “What is your ‘why’?”
South Meadows Elementary School Principal Stacie Battaglia said, “The Building Advisory Team created a wonderful classroom lesson revolving around a picture book titled The Invisible Boy.” Students made their own set of flags to finish the sentence “Kids matter because….”
Even the youngest students at North Creek Elementary School got involved, designing flags that answer, “What makes me special?”
A two-minute video featuring teachers Laura Naar and Geo Rutherford that ended this year’s assemblies can be seen at here.
Superintendent Julie Helber said in a released statement, “I am so proud of our students and staff across the district who have embraced and supported this campaign over the past two years.
“The initial art project has turned into a movement across Michigan and other states and is impacting a much broader school base outside of Chelsea. The focus that has been placed on the value of humankind is remarkable.
“Our staff and students have come together to show their love and support for each other and set a positive example for everyone.” Helber wrote.
