Recently, the Heroes and Cool Kids took a trip to the middle school to talk to seventh and eighth graders. Advised by Mrs. Gagliano and Mr. Marck, “these Heroes are sent into the elementary and middle schools to share their lives and facilitate the program which is geared to helping all students make better, healthier choices that will lead to a positive future.” During this visit, the mentors focused on the topic of building resilience. The seniors were divided into groups and assigned to five different classrooms.

After arriving at their assigned classrooms, all of the Heroes introduced themselves and had eager students arrange the desks into a circle. Then, a few of the mentors told their own stories of resilience and perseverance, and how they were impacted by them. Most stories involved hard work in sports, and how working diligently as a freshman paid off as a senior. The students were very attentive as they learned about resilience. Next, the mentors played a few interactive games with students and discussed the importance of nutrition and healthy eating.

Finally, the day ended off with the mentors answering questions about high school. Since the transition from middle school to high school is a scary and difficult experience, the Heroes wanted to make the move as smooth and stress-free as possible. This trip, the first of three,  was a wonderful opportunity that will help build character and prepare students for high school. The Cool Kids were cordial and the Heroes can’t wait to return!