Wednesday, Aug. 17 was the first day of school for the sixth, seventh and eighth graders at Willowside Middle School.
The tweens were met with more than butterflies over entering middle school. The students were greeted with excited teachers and staff, dressed in bright colors, holding signs with positive messages written on them.
Called a happiness sprinkling, the effort left kids smiling as they walked into the doors, some for the first time, of Willowside.
“The first day of middle school … kids feel nervous. This is a very visible way to be happy,” Willowside principal Linsey Gannon said.
The happiness sprinkling came from English teacher Julia Castro who saw the idea on social media. The happiness sprinkling project began in May 2012 when a friend of the project’s founder, Laura Lavigne of the Center for Happiness in Anacortes, Washington, posted a photo on Lavigne’s Facebook wall. The photo was of people wearing bright orange jump suits and holding signs with cool messages over their heads, according to the project’s website.
Lavigne’s imagination ran wild as she envisioned bringing the joy and positivity to her hometown. With donated printed signs and a throng of happy individuals, she embarked on one happiness sprinkling after another.
The project has reached global proportions and has been tailored for schools to help curb bullying and encourage compassion for all.
Gannon said Willowside doesn’t have a reputation for bullying or negativity. “It has a good reputation,” she added. “But students need to feel safe and secure, otherwise the academic part won’t happen. The happiness sprinkling creates a positive culture and climate from day one.”
Gannon recalled her own middle school days, admitting to the struggle many middle school students have emotionally, physically and socially.
“I think we all remember our awkward middle school days,” Gannon said. “We do what we can do to make it happy and positive all year round.”
