French Road Elementary has partnered with “Hands & Words” since 2009. Students and staff recite the Pledge Daily and Always have their Purple Hands Pledges displayed year round. One of our “Model” Schools that have Effectively Implemented and Sustained our program year after year. They received the US Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Award in 2011.
“Every day after the pledge of allegiance and morning announcements, we state the following pledge, “I will not use my hands or my words for hurting myself or others.”
We don’t just say it each day at FRES, we live it each day through our words and actions! The pledge has become the foundation of our anti-bullying message.”
http://capitolwords.org/date/2011/11/30/E2141_congratulating-french-road-elementary-school/
New York State Representative Louise M. Slaughter congratulates French Road Elementary School for receiving the US Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Award:
Community is a central component of French Road Elementary School. Its students are not only encouraged to succeed academically but to be constructive members of their communities. In an era where school bullying is far too prevalent, French Road students start their day by reciting the school’s Purple Hand Pledge. It reads, “I will not use my hands or my words for hurting myself or others.” It is a simple message that should be emphasized more throughout school communities around the country.
After using the pledge for the past two years, we wanted to reinvigorate our staff and students with something cool. Several of us watched the Pink Glove Dance videos on Youtube, where hospital staff across the United States danced with pink gloves to bring awareness to the fight against breast cancer and that people are not alone in that fight. We loved the videos, loved the message, and loved “You Won’t Dance Alone.” The song has a positive message that fits perfectly into a no bullying philosophy emphasize that if you are bullied, you are not alone. We are in this together! So – during the 2010-2011 school year, teachers, secretaries, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, teaching assistants, custodians, nurses, administrators, etc., secretly prepared dance routines while wearing PURPLE gloves. We showed the video to the kids at a special school wide assembly. They loved it! We hope you will too!
Student activists under the guidance of Mr. Jim Taylor, Director of Choirs, created an elective “Hands and Words Are Not For Hurting Project Class” promoting widespread participation in the Purple Hands Pledge to end abuse and violence in their homes, school, community and internationally.
The Hands Project’s most recent international partnership was formed with the Family and Marriage Society of South Africa (FAMSA) and their Director, Marietha Oelofse. FAMSA created a program entitled “Violence Awareness Program” to work with children in their schools as a tool to be used by educational trainers to seriously address the issues which help to perpetuate violence in the home and society. They found the Hands Project on the internet and thought “it was a stunning idea”! In just one short year a strong alliance has begun.
Funding was not possible for FAMSA to purchase Hands Project materials. The Hands Project Director asked McNary High School if they would be willing to raise money to send “Hands” materials to the participating schools in South Africa. Their answer was a resounding YES!
Students in the Hands Project Class and Fine Arts Department performed a benefit concert entitled “A Night of Hope” raising $1500.00. Their goal was achieved! Official Hands Project materials were shipped to over 25 schools who have implemented the Purple Hands Pledge. The schools are located in city of Potchefstroom in the Northwest Provence of South Africa. McNary High School students efforts reached over 4000 students that impacted the children’s lives with amazing results according to FAMSA Director. She said, “I am amazed at the fact that a school community would go to the trouble to do a fundraising to help us towards our project.”
The McNary students are overjoyed with the difference they have made in this endeavor!
THANK YOU!
(Pledge Banner shown above in combination English and South Africa’s native language Afrikaan).
[Not a valid template]CAP, A partnership of a dozen local, county and state agencies endorse efforts to implement Hands & Words Project countywide. – Klamath Falls, OR (more…)
[Not a valid template]Children love to give hugs to Purple Pledge Bears! Hands are for hugging! (more…)
Walnut Middle School, Grand Island, NE-Partner Since 2000
Students prepare Hands & Words float for "Harmony of Harvest" parade October 2007. Thousands gather from all over the state in Grand Island to watch the annual event.
“Anyone visiting Walnut Middle School on any day of the school year will see everything at Walnut come to a halt at 8:05am, when every student and every adult in the building, led by student volunteers on the intercom, repeat the United States Pledge of Allegiance followed by the Purple Hands Pledge. Students know that taking the Pledge each morning is a promise to take responsibility for their words and their actions during the day! …teachers and support staff have continually emphasized the importance of respect and responsibility …in the classroom and in informal student interactions.” —Vikki Deuel, Principal and Mary Ann Richards, Counselor
June 2005, Operation Respect & the Don’t Laugh At Me Program selected Walnut Middle School, Grand Island, Nebraska as one of five schools in the United States and Canada to receive recognition as a model for positive change in schools. On June 30-July 1, 2005 at Operation Respect’s national symposium in Washington, D.C. representatives from Walnut Middle School presented their results which highlighted the Hands & Words Are Not For Hurting Project. Participants included national and state education organizations, leading government officials, educators, and researchers. The goal of the symposium was to demonstrate conclusively that schools can transform their environment. (more…)
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[Not a valid template]“This is our third year doing the Hands Pledge and I must tell you, it is such a wonderful program for our students, their families and our community! (more…)
2004/2005 Walker Middle School Peer Helpers of Salem, Oregon
partnered with Hands & Words Are Not For Hurting Project to teach over 300 preschoolers about abuse and violence prevention. The young children that attend 6 Salem preschools learned to value themselves and to be kind to others while the teens learned to be positive role models.
The Peer Helpers also lead Oregon Governor Kulongoski and other guests in the Hand & Words Are Not For Hurting Pledge at the April 2005 Child Abuse Prevention Rally held on the steps of the courthouse in Oregon’s capitol city.
“Kids’ pledge is wedge against violence” (Oct. 17, 2005)
“Community can put an end to child abuse” (April 06, 2005)
“Olson honored for contributions” (March 15, 2005)
[Not a valid template]Sprague High School – Salem, Or – First high school in the nation to take The Pledge (more…)
