“We Are Silent”
The 6th grade through 12th grade participated in a "We Are Silent" Campaign on Friday, November 20th. The students picked their passion and committed to silence for the hours of their choice throughout the day. The purpose was to be silent for those who have no voice which creates empathy for others and what they may be going through. They were invited to write that passion on a large poster paper displayed at the end of the hallway which brought awareness to their cause.
Some examples of the passions chosen by the students were poverty, child labor, clean water, child abuse, homelessness, racism, wounded veterans, adoption, and mental health to name a few. The students were able to bring to the forefront various causes that can affect not only students, but the world at large.
Each hour they were silent, they paid the classroom teacher $1 and received a blue armband. If they chose to be silent for the entire day, they could pay $5 and were given an additional green band. This way the teachers could identify which students had been given permission to be silent. The final choice was to pay $10 giving them a third band which was bright orange. This allowed them to be silent all day as well as get their name into a drawing for a grand prize. The prizes included a gift box filled with a coffee mug, journal, candies and cookies, one large bag of peanuts, one large bag of Christmas mints, one iMPACT sweatshirt and four batches of Mrs. Kjolhaug’s homemade fudge.
Mrs. Bagaason’s 6th grade class participated by being silent during their Math class. Mrs. Bagaason also utilizes this as a transitional tool for her students who are then made aware of the opportunities awaiting them once they begin Jr. High. The High School students in turn are aware of the sixth graders who have shown support and will be on the look out to help them in transitioning into the upper grades.
This year’s We Are Silent Campaign had a new addition to the event. It was the Silent Auction which took place throughout the week leading up to Friday’s day of silence. All proceeds were sent to Free the Children which supports Verdera, a village in India. The students have been supporting this for the past three years. This year they chose to have the funds go towards an education project in the village. A total of $600 was raised.
Special thanks goes out to administration and faculty who joined in by supporting the students and their cause.
Winners were; Brynn Hetland (winner of one batch of fudge), Kendehl Ballard (high bidder on the breast cancer awareness hat and gloves), Wyatt Buer, (high bidder on the stocking stuffed with Snickers), Elliott Dickey (high bidder on the horse blanket), John Davis (winner of the large bag of peanuts), Jessica King (winner of the large bag of Christmas mints), Middle row: Sierra Walters (high bidder on Mrs. Eck’s pair of handmade boot cuffs), Cassie Faldet (winner of the second pair of handmade bootcuffs donated by Mrs. Eck and winner of one batch of fudge), Xavier Goodwin (winner of iMPACT sweatshirt), Sydney Vakoch (high bidder of one rafiki chain), Kaylee Faldet (grand prize winner of the treasure box). Front: Jolee Heinrichs Olson (high bidder of leopard hat and scarf). Cyle Walters, (high bidder on Smurf blanket), Mrs. Eck (high bidder on two rafiki chains), Katie Bardwell (high bidder on a print donated by Mr. Jay Jones), and Lori Beard (high bidder on the basketball blanket, two rafiki chains, and flavored honey straws).