School Days
Encouraging
Students to be
Change Makers
Written By Kimberly Beare, PIO,
Morgan Hill Unified School District
S
chool is a transformative
experience for our youth. Not
just academically, but socially and
emotionally as well. During middle
school, students begin to understand
who they are, who they want to be as
an adult, and the fact that they have an
impact on the world around them.
Every action, conversation and social
media post impacts other students and
the campus environment as a whole.
The way a student communicates and
behaves leaves a lasting impression, a
character footprint, on peers as well as
school officials.
From day one, students are
unwittingly building their character
footprint. It traces back to how students
interact with classmates and teachers in
the classroom, how after-school clubs
run their operations, and how athletes
treat each other on and off the field.
Whether a student chooses to sit with
the new kid at lunch, help someone
struggling with math, or post a clever
video on social media, words and actions
always matter. Their character footprint
says a lot about who they are today
and who they will become as adults.
It becomes a legacy that follows every
student during their school years and
long after they graduate.
The school district is a hub of family
life in our community. The mission of
Morgan Hill Unified School District
(MHUSD) is not only to educate
students, from drawing with crayons to
filling out college applications, but also
to nurture their development of positive
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character traits such as compassion,
mindfulness, and leadership.
By participating in programs such
as Positive Behavioral Interventions
and Support (PBIS), and Restorative
Justice (RJ), students experience how
kindness and respect help them to be
more effective and productive together
while making their campus a better
place for everyone. Through PBIS and
the RJ program, our students learn to
make positive choices and see how their
choices positively impact the campus as
a whole.
According to MHUSD
Superintendent Steve Betando these
programs aim to influence how students
interact with each other, encouraging
early development of the leadership