At Sunrise we have been learning about the importance of Hope. Hope is not just an emotion, it is a way of thinking or a cognitive process. We develop hope in students by helping them learn how to set goals, develop pathways to those goals, and feel agency over their ability to achieve those goals.
Throughout the year students will be completing different hope projects as we work on a hopeful way of thinking. One of the projects to start the year was the hope boats. Each student decorated their own hope boat after a lesson on navigating challenges. These boats were then strung together and suspended above Grand Central, creating a captivating display as kids enter the school each morning. Beneath the boats is our Thankful Tree, which will be decorated with other hope-themed projects as the seasons change. We started our year with "leaves of gratitude", and now are decorating with hope snowflakes.
Sunrise also has a Run 4 Hope club where students complete laps at recess and can qualify for a winter Fun Run. After qualifying, students can help spread hope one lap at a time by donating their additional laps to other participating students so they can join them in the fun run.
We also have a Hope Room where students can go to problem-solve, regulate emotions, or meet for group development of social skills.
We will continue to spread hope at Sunrise through the end of the school year with several more school-wide hope themed projects lined up.
