Start With Hello! is a national program that teaches students to make a
difference with their peers in a simple, fun, and impactful way. They take
small but powerful actions to promote connectedness and inclusion, and to
identify and help lonely students who are showing signs of social isolation. It
was created by the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation after the devastating school
shooting in Newton, Connecticut in 2012 that took the lives of 27 people,
including twenty first-graders.
Norton Middle School will be joining thousands of other schools across the country who will be participating in “Start With Hello! Week” from September 23-27, 2019. The Sandy Hook Promise Foundation began this program because in every school and community there are young people who suffer silently due to feeling left out, alone or invisible. We want to help our students feel seen, accepted and safe.
The three goals of this program are to teach students
how to:
• See Someone Alone
• Reach Out and Help
• Start With Hello
Social isolation is a growing epidemic in the United
States and within our schools, and it can be associated with violent and
suicidal behavior. By participating in
our Start With Hello! activities your child will be part of a nationwide
movement to empower young people to create a culture of inclusion and
connectedness!