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