Wonderkids

POLSON — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Star Girl!

Superheroes of all kinds took center stage at Cherry Valley Elementary on Friday, May 25 for Superheroes for Kindness Day, an effort to promote friendship and curb bullying in the school.

“Our day is a celebration of how the superheroes stand up to meanness by taking care of each other and do so through acts of kindness,” said Bill Starkey, Cherry Valley counselor and school psychologist.

With all students decked out with decorated capes, thanks to the efforts of several volunteers, they flew into the school, recited the superhero pledge and watched a video of their classmates in their costumes. The idea was more than simply an assembly, though.

In class, students role played with pretend bullies before a bystander would say, “You could use a superhero now!” A superhero then intervened and used words to resolve the conflict.

The superheroes also made flags and gifts and visited sites in the community, such as JourneyBe Church and the senior citizens center, to get an idea of what it means and how it feels to help someone else.

“We’re assessing this in two ways,” Starkey (known as Mr. Moose to the students) said. “We are tracking instances of aggression and conducting self-assessments of the students. The self-assessments let us know whether the students are more likely to stand up for others and whether others have been more apt to stand up for them and include them in their play.”

The idea for Superheroes for Kindness came from school down the road in Missoula, where one teacher made capes.

“It is our first time, but we’ve all had so much fun that it may well be something we do every year,” Starkey said.

The effort has not just been a heart-warming and valuable experience for the students and staff, but for Starkey as well, who has seen first-hand the way kids have embraced the event.

“Not a day goes by when a number of kids hug me and say, ‘Mr. Moose, I love my superhero cape. When can I take it home,’” Starkey said.

When they take it home, the cape will be a constant reminder of the good that they’re capable of doing and the difference they can make in the lives of their friends and classmates.

After all, with great power comes great responsibility.