Generosity strikes SMS

Generosity made the positive atmosphere at Somers Middle School last month. Monthly, Somers Middle School has a character builder on what the ideal citizen should possess. Students who practice this trait are recognized or "caught in the act."

When caught in the act, students' names and the good deed they did are hung on a bulletin board. Nominations are given by both the students and teachers. One of Somers' goals is to incorporate the good traits into their students daily lives.

Delaney Neater is a perfect example of the character builder trait last month: generosity. She painted a mural of a mustang in the school hallway. She took the challenge to beautify the school into her own hands.

Outside of the cafeteria is a beautiful painting of the Somers Mustang and special motto. The motto is "Show Responsibility, Mindset is Positive and Show Respect," an acrostic poem of SMS.

Delaney suggested painting the mural one day to a staff member. The staff member thought it was a great idea and told Delaney to go for it. Delaney went out to the store and bought painting materials with her own her money and started to work on it after school. During the day time, the painting was covered for secrecy. After a week and a half, she finished it and the next day on the announcements it was unveiled. Delaney displayed generosity through her act of painting the mural.

Somers this year participated in the canned food drive, another example of generosity. It was a challenge for each homeroom to bring in the most canned goods. Each student went home and brought back food for their homeroom.

Tom Gillespie's homeroom took first with more than 100 canned goods. The activity demonstrated how giving canned food to others in need is the morally correct thing to do.

All activities that Somers school does has the character builder in mind.

As the year progresses, Somers takes a couple days to teach team building to the students. On the team building days, the school duration is cut in half – half for school half for the multiple activities that teach team work. The activities emphasize how to work as a team, use encouraging words and meet new friends.

Somers Middle Schools's goal is to bestow all the strong character traits a decent person should have to the students before they graduate.

More often than not they are successful.

Schieffer is an eighth grader at Somers Middle School.