Denison Elementary School — Denison, Iowa
Denison Elementary School began our partnership in 2003, that continues today!
“Good behavior is Celebrated at Denison Elementary!
We created the Purple Hands Honor Roll to reward our students!”
♥ Former counselor, Lori Phillips, began the Purple Hands Pledge® in March of 2003. 18 years later, Denison Elementary and Broadway Schools continue to support our powerful message.
♥ Every morning, Denison Elementary students and staff say the anti-violence Purple Hands Pledge® to help pay attention to the things we say and do to ourselves and others that can be hurtful.
♥ The Purple Hands Pledge® shows our unity as a school. We all should think before we say or do something that could hurt ourselves or others.
♥ “Another important part of the program is the symbol of the Purple Hand with a Red Heart in the middle. This symbol is easily recognizable to the students and is a visual reminder of what the Pledge means, especially to those not reading yet. We have the Purple Hand/ Red Heart symbol displayed in several areas of our school as a reminder to students to follow the Purple Hands Pledge®.” – Karin Thiele, Elementary School Counselor
♥ Purple Hands Honor Roll, a school-wide activity, recognizes all students who have not used their Hands Or Words For Hurting Others. In order to make the honor roll, a student must be able to recite the Purple Hands Pledge® and must not be caught using their Hands Or Words For Hurting.
♥ If a student breaks the pledge and uses their hands or words to hurt someone else, a note is sent home and the student is taken off the honor roll. The students on the honor roll have their names posted on a list outside the principal’s office, as well as on a certificate, and will receive a small prize, like an official pin or a wristband with the Purple Hands Pledge® on it.
♥ Denison even has a Purple Hands Mascot, Pixie! Pixie likes to hand out rewards each quarter to the students who make the honor roll.
♥ “In the 2020-21 school year, 95.9% of our students were rewarded!” –Tracy Beeck, Counselor, Denison Elementary
A Bridge from School to Families & Community!
Denison Elementary has a Business Partner Program within their community. There are 44 businesses involved who display Official Purple Hands Posters! Students and families can be reminded of the Purple Hands Pledge® when seeing the message in their community.
Purple Hands in the News!
♥ The Purple Hands Pledge® Program at Denison Elementary School made the news!
♥ In March of 2010 when students were studying the Purple Hands Pledge®, Denison was lucky enough to be able to partner with Hy-Vee, a local grocery store, to promote the Purple Hands Pledge® throughout the community.
♥ Hy-Vee printed the Purple Hands Pledge® and Official Logo on 360,000 of their grocery bags during the month of March.
♥ Students began noticing the symbol on the bags. It was a great reminder that the Purple Hands Pledge® is important beyond school walls.
♥ It was a great way for students to share with their families the Purple Hands Pledge® and its important message!
“This is the most important rule we have here at our school!”
“Using the Purple Hands Pledge® at our school has helped us by providing a simple and common language to address student behavior and the way that we treat each other.”
“Everyone who has a relationship with our school, from teachers and students to parents and community members knows the Purple Hands Pledge®, and can easily reference this behavior expectation by using the common language introduced in the pledge.”
“I think it is a wonderful thing when we can place reminders in our students homes and in our community that the Purple Hands Pledge® is important no matter where you go.”
“The Purple Hands Pledge® is also on several of our PBIS Behavior Rubrics as a behavior expectation across several settings.”
“It is such a quick yet concise way to talk with students that carries across all settings.”
Teachers getting ready to display their Purple Hands on the first day of school!
Teachers welcome students with their Purple Hands Pledge® Display. Showing them the way!
Little kindergarten kids off to a great start!
Kindergarten kids love the Purple Hands Pledge®!
