| For many children going to school can be
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| | makes blueberry muffins and gives them to
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| a challenging experience. Fear and
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| | her paperboy and four others - one of
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| insecurity can often cause great kids to
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| | whom is Mr. Stevens, who then helps five
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| act in less than positive and
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| | different people with their luggage - one
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| constructive ways. It has been estimated
| |
| | of whom is Maria, who then helps five
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| that 160,000 children miss school every
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| | people - including a man named Joseph who
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| day out of fear of being harassed or
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| | didn't have enough money for his
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| attacked by another student. Bullying,
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| | groceries - and so on, until the deed
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| targeted viciousness, and violence in our
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| | touches every single person on the planet
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| schools have become a national concern.
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| | and finally comes back to Mary.
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| In 2004, Orchard Elementary School in
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| | After reading and discussing this book,
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| Orem, Utah found itself with an
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| | the entire 6th grade decided to set a
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| especially difficult 6th grade class.
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| | goal of leaving their school with 15,000
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| Many of these students, both male and
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| | good deeds by the time they graduated.
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| female, were forming predatory cliques
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| | The results were astounding. Not only did
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| that seemed devoted to teasing,
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| | they reach their goal, but the entire
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| belittling and bullying other students
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| | tone and climate of the school changed as
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| before, during, and after school. "There
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| | a result.
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| was little empathy or respect for one
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| | "All the kids really became one cohesive
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| another," said Principal Brent Palmer, "A
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| | group," said Hill, "Popular kids started
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| lot of the kids were wonderful, but those
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| | reaching out to less popular kids and
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| that were causing problems were pretty
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| | several kids left cliques they were in
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| aggressive."
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| | and forged new friendships. It was really
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| Deciding to take matters into her own
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| | hard for some of them emotionally but it
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| hands, a mother of one of the "problem"
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| | turned out to be a really great thing.
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| boys asked his teacher, Lisha Hill, to
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| | This program pulled kids out of the
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| allow her to try an experiment. She
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| | shadows, included them in social
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| gathered all the 6th grade classes
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| | interactions and made them more aware of
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| together and read them the book,
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| | the ratio of positive to negative things
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| "Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed" by
| |
| | they do."
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| Emily Pearson, in which Mary, an ordinary
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| | In 2006, other Utah schools also began
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| girl from an ordinary school on her way
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| | successfully implementing this program.
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| to her ordinary house, stumbles upon
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| | By taking the focus off of negative
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| ordinary blueberries. When she decides to
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| | behaviors and getting children, teens,
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| pick them for her neighbor, Mrs. Bishop,
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| | and even adults united in a positive
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| she starts a chain reaction that
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| | goal, a difference can be made -- and
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| multiplies around the world. Mrs. Bishop
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| | that difference can be huge.
|
