South Hunterdon Middle School Newsbite: November 11th, 2024

Socks for Smiles Drive

The student council (Eagle Ambassador's Club) is hard at work with their first project of the year. The Ambassador's are hosting a "Socks for Smiles" Drive from November 11th-25th. Homerooms are competing to see who can collect the most socks for those in need! Homerooms with the most collected socks will win a prize. 

Here's how to Participate:
 

• Collect socks. Please gather NEW socks of all sizes. 
• Bring them in! Drop off your socks in homeroom. 
• Spread the word. Encourage friends and family to donate! 

The lesson included a hands-on activity where students recognized similarities between gossip and glitter. They also interacted with an Everyday Speech platform, watching a modeling video that demonstrated helpful strategies for preventing gossip.

• Setting Boundaries: Students learned how to politely but firmly stop gossip when they hear it, by saying things like, “I don’t feel comfortable talking about this” or “Let’s talk about something else.”

• Redirecting Conversations: If gossip starts, students practiced how to shift the topic toward something positive or neutral.

• Speaking Up: Students discussed the importance of speaking out when they see others being hurt by gossip, whether by offering support to the person being talked about or by encouraging others to stop.

• Supporting Others: Students learned how to be a good friend by offering kind words and standing up for others without participating in harmful conversations.

• Thinking Before Speaking: Emphasizing the importance of pausing before sharing information to consider its impact and whether it’s necessary or kind to say.

By the end of the lesson, students had a clearer understanding of the impact of gossip and were equipped with practical strategies to prevent it and promote positive communication.