Dogwood students say, "You Belong Here"

In support of the SCSD initiative, The Smithtown Promise, Dogwood Elementary fifth-grade students learned about the importance of belonging within their school and community. Students listened to the story, "We’re All Wonders" by R.J. Palacio. The book tells the story of a young boy who doesn’t look like an ordinary kid but does many of the same things other children do. In the story, he looks down at the Earth and realizes how different people are, and that the world is big enough for everyone to belong.

After reading the story, students created a classroom quilt. Each student received a quilt square where they wrote about their character traits and what makes them special and unique. They also created a self-portrait on their square. All of the quilt pieces were then put together to form a class quilt.

This activity helped students focus on how beautiful it is to be unique and different. At the same time, it showed them that we all share similarities and can come together as friends. Students learned that our differences are what make us special, and that those differences are what make each and every one of us truly beautiful.

The Smithtown Promise principle, “You Belong Here” teaches students that they can be authentic, they can seek new experiences, invest in relationships, and open their minds to learn about others.