School Board Recognition Week offers a chance to thank the members of our Monroe One BOCES Board for all they do throughout the school year.
This year, during one of their meetings, board members were surprised by schools and programs presenting food, art, and kind messages. The room’s tables overflowed with cards, Magical Mugs, bread, granola, and more—all crafted by students from the Multi-Occupational and FOCUS program, Creekside School, and O’Connor Academy.
Creekside teacher Lori Sorber explained the meaning behind each gift her students created for the board members:
During Hispanic Heritage Month in October, Creekside students learned about Hispanic culture. They created a potted cactus, incorporating lessons on line design (decorating the pots) and 3-D art (folding and gluing paper to form the cactus). They also made 3-D cactus thank you cards for the board members. Several students wanted to donate their potted cacti as centerpieces for the board meeting on October 24.
While researching ideas for our new SEL curriculum, The Character Effect, I came across the concept of "Magical Mugs." Delivering a "Magical Mug" is a wonderful way to show appreciation for a valued colleague and enhance their well-being. Research suggests that acts of kindness can increase happiness and reduce stress, benefiting both the giver and receiver. Kindness is also contagious, often inspiring additional good deeds. Ten students volunteered their free time to design a plastic mug for each board member.
Each student created a unique mug and chose to display it on either a card or banner. And what goes well with a mug of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Cookies! The students decorated cardboard cookies with homemade puffy paint, while Creekside’s Transition Elective students contributed by making two paper mâché serving trays.
Tim Lammermann, our new FACS teacher, and his students baked delicious cookies for the board members to enjoy. Meanwhile, Makerspace teacher Dale Fravel recorded Creekside students expressing their gratitude to our dedicated board members for their hard work and support.
