In the News!

Here's a blurb from the local paper covering an event that some how I got roped into. I enjoyed speaking at 3 assemblies to over 625 students. We had a good time together. Hopefully, when they need it, the students will remember what we spoke together about.

102207 NC Freesign
Matt Snarr courtesy photo Red Ribbon Week included making a sign of themselves spelling ÒFREEÓ on the school playground for students at Renaissance Academyin north Lehi on Friday.ÊThe theme for the week-long program was ÒBorn to be Free.Ó ÒThis means free from drugs, gossip, bad feelings, bullies, bad wordsand free to make healthy choices for our bodies and minds,Ó said Michelle Porcelli, school family engagement committee member.
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Thursday, October 25, 2007
Academy students are 'Born to be Free'
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Cathy Allred - NORTH COUNTY STAFF
Renaissance Academy students had a busy week of activities for Red Ribbon Week including making a sign of themselves spelling "FREE" on the school playground.
Red Ribbon Week at the charter school focused on more things than just drugs, Michelle Porcelli, school family engagement committee member, said in an e-mailinterview. The theme for the program was "Born to be Free."
"This means free from drugs, gossip, bad feelings, bullies, bad words and free to make healthy choices for our bodies and minds," Porcelli wrote.
The week's activities included an assembly with Dr. Rebecca Johnson discussing over the counter and illegal drugs and Kris Belcher, who lost her eye andsight to cancer, and discussed bullies, acceptance and disabilities.
"It went really well," wrote Belcher in an e-mail interview. "The students were very responsive to my comments at the assemblies. I taught them they had"Super Powers."
She explained how, when she was little, she would run down the steep hill on which I lived and pretend to be Superman as I ran and tried to fly.
"The students may not be able to fly, but they have a super power within them," she said. "That power is the power to choose their actions, words, attitudes.If they are being bullied, they can leave and report the problem. They don't have to stick around for the mistreatment."
Children have the power to choose how they will treat other people, especially those who may look or act different from themselves was taught during theweek.
"They can use their words to hurt or help others," Belcher said. "I think they caught the vision and hopefully it made a difference for someone."
Students also signed a pledge banner and tied ribbons around the fence. Parents gathered the teacher's baby pictures and had the students guess whom theybelonged too to go with the theme "Born to Be Free."
There were assemblies, prizes and fun activities for the students, Porcelli said.
Students wore a friendship bracelet all week for a chance at a prize. Each bracelet was red, yellow, orange, pink or black representing different traitsand students were asked to do something representing the traits of the bracelet they wore.
Tuesday, Oct. 16, was Red Day and students wore red polos for their school assembly. The next day was "Born to be Free" pajama day, Oct. 18 was "Turn YouBack to Drugs" day and students wore their Renaissance cloths backwards. "Team up Against Drugs" day was Oct. 19 and kids got to wear their favorite teamapparel whether it was soccer, gymnastics, football or other team activity.Article views: 115