A Simple Hello Is Making A Difference At One West Alabama School

MILLPORT, Ala. (WCBI) – A west Alabama school is spreading love and positive vibes across its campus.

South Lamar Schools’ 2nd through 12th graders are participating in a program that’s all about inclusion.

High school students pretty much still have the same routine they did fifty years ago; tests, games, and groups of friends.

However, how they interact is constantly changing, especially with social media.

Now, the Start with Hello project is taking learning beyond the classroom.

‘You are loved.’ ‘You are beautiful.’ ‘Keep your head up.’

From doors to lockers, posters and sticky notes of positivity cover the South Lamar School campus.

“This program is reaching out to children who are socially isolated. As we know, those are usually the kids who are bullied, or harm themselves, or others, and so we’re trying to reach them before they decide to be violent against themselves or others, or are bullied,” says South Lamar School Assistant Principal, Lisa Wright.

Signs with smiles are the beginning of the Start with Hello program.

It started Monday morning.

Educators believe a simple hello is one way students can start a conversation with each other.

“Sometimes, they’ll do things or say things to other kids that they won’t say when a teacher is around, or to their parents, so this provides a way to open up those communication lines between other children, who could maybe report something or come to one of us that they feel comfortable with, and just say, ‘hey, this child is having a problem.'”

The goal is to bring students out of their comfort zones, while making them feel important and loved.

“Bring students out of their shell that might otherwise not speak to anybody, or better yet, might not have anybody to go up and speak to them,” says South Lamar School Principal, Jason Williams.

South Lamar High School Senior Lindsay Trull says she doesn’t feel secluded at school, but sees others who do and knows it exists at every school.

“I can’t imagine how good it was for the kids that do feel that way, and then we had posters at the end of our hallway that we could write something positive on them and it just makes me happy.”

“Even though this is a week put on by the Sandy Hook Project, we really want to teach these kids that this is how we should behave at all times, that you know, you should reach out to children who you see hurting or are rejected by social groups,” says Wright.

The optional program also includes a poetry and poster contest.

Students can upload their work to the Sandy Hook Foundation website and win prizes for their work and school.