January is Be Kind to Yourself Month.  GPISD counselors support the mental and emotional health of students and staff.  By talking about mental health, we empower students to acknowledge and understand their feelings.  Counselors utilize a variety of methods such as support animals and teaching mindfulness to help students learn coping skills.  Self-care is not just for students; adults need to be kind to themselves also.  #BeKindToYourself 

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of February will focus on Healthy Relationships. 

A campus environment that promotes kindness and compassion encourages students to treat each other with respect and enables students in crisis to recognize the people that are willing to help and support them.

• Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year. 
• 1 in 3 adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence. 
• 1 in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend. 
• Only 33% of teens who were in a violent relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-200-799-7233 or Contact Your School Counselor
• Resource: https://www.loveisrespect.org/

To have good friends, you have be a good friend. Here are some of the ways good friends treat each other: 

• Good friends listen to each other.
• Good friends don't push each other down or hurt each other's feelings. 
• Good friends try to understand each other's feelings and moods.
• Good friends help each other solve problems. 
• Good friends give each other compliments.
• Good friends can disagree without hurting each other. 
• Good friends are dependable.
• Good friends respect each other.
• Good friends are trustworthy.
• Good friends give each other room to change. 
• Good friends care about each other. 

GPISD School Counselors and Social Workers empower young people to build healthy relationships from the ground up. We invite you to join the movement and raise awareness about healthy relationships with us - start the conversation about healthy relationships in our friend circles, schools and communities. Everyone has a part in ending dating abuse. 

Look for signs that you are in a healthy relationship.
Artwork courtesy of the Grand Prairie Love Project

The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of March is Be Kind: Online. 

A campus environment that promotes kindness and compassion encourages students to treat each other with respect and not participate in bullying behaviors including the anonymous bystander behaviors that magnify the effects of cyberbullying. See something, say something. If students are aware that other students are participating in cyberbullying, they should report the incident(s) to their parents, their counselor, their teacher, their administrator or any other appropriate adults. Because we teach kindness and respect for others, students in crisis are able to more easily recognize people that are willing to help and support them.

*Learn more on what parents can do about the Momo Challenge*

Grand Prairie ISD uses STOPit, an online and app-based reporting system, for students and parents to anonymously report concerns about school violence, bullying, and self-injury to school administrators.

A few tips to help protect yourself from becoming a victim of cyberbullying.

• Always think about what you post. You never know what someone will forward. Being kind to others online will help keep you safe. Do no share anything that could hurt or embarrass anyone. 
• Keep your password a secret from other kids. Even kids that seem like friends could give your password away or use it in ways you don't want. Let your parents have your passwords. 
• Think about who sees what you post online. Complete strangers? Friends? Friends of friends? Privacy settings let you control who see what. 
• Keep your parents in the loop. Tell them what your're doing online and who you're doing it with. Let them friend or follow you. Listen to what they have to say about what is and isn't okay to do. They care about you and want you to be safe. 
• Talk to an adult you trust about any messages you get or things you see online that make you sad or scared. If it is cyberbullying, report it. 

Be Kind: Online Parent Night Presentations

Apple/iPhone Presentation (Print Version - PDF)

Android Presentation

The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of April is Be Kind: In Your Community. 

Service learning activities gives students opportunities to serve others and enhances compassion and empathy. 

What lessons does community service teach students?

Research recognizes learning as an effective strategy to help students by:

1. Promoting learning through active participation in service experiences;
2. Providing an opportunity for students to sue skills and knowledge in real-life situations;
3. Extending learning beyond the classroom and into the community; and 
4. Fostering a sense of caring for others.

Service learning also strengthens both education and local communities by"

1. Meeting community needs through the service projects conducted. 
2. Providing engaging and productive opportunities for young people to work with others in their community. 

If family/friends volunteer, youth will too! 

• A youth from a family where at least one parent volunteers is almost twice as likely to volunteer as a youth with no family members who volunteer – and nearly three times as likely to volunteer on a regular basis. 
• Non-volunteers say that they are more likely to serve if a trusted friend asks them to serve. 
• Around 40% of volunteers choose to do it because a friend or someone close to them suggested the idea to them.

The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of May is Be Kind: To Your Teacher. 

Teaching students to express appreciation improves their relationships.

Every GPISD campus Kindness Crew promotes a culture of kindness and compassion. These Kindness Crew members are creating affirmations for their teachers and are among the 98.6% who report their teachers have had a positive impact on them.

Students aren’t the only ones that benefit from a kind classroom environment. When students show kindness and respect to their teachers and the other students in their classes, teachers enjoy more positive classroom communication and student engagement. Kind and caring classrooms are part of the reason 90% of teens believe teachers care about teaching students well.

Summer is a great time to rest, relax and re-charge. Summer can also be full of unstructured time for families, especially kids. To avoid the "summer slide," students can get involved with numerous activities hosted by the District or by the City of Grand Prairie. 

Grand Prairie ISD Summer Camps
Grand Prairie ISD Summer Feeding
Be Kind: Reader are Leaders Summer Challenge
City of Grand Prairie Community Calendar
City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation

The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of August is Be Kind: Make New Friends.

Start with Hello is designed to help students and school staff members create and sustain an inclusive school culture/community by implementing three simple steps:

• See Someone Alone
• Reach Out + Help
• Start with Hello

Campus Kindness Crews sponsor the Start with Hello program which is designed to help students and school staff members create and sustain an inclusive school culture/community by implementing three simple steps:

1) See Someone Alone
2) Reach Out and Help
3) Start with Hello

The Start with Hello program helps create inclusion and connectedness at school.

• Social isolation is the overwhelming feeling of being left out, lonely or treated like you are invisible. 
• Young people who feel this way may pull away from society, struggle with learning and social development, or choose to hurt themselves or others.
• By participating in Start with Hello events and activities, students are helping to bring attention to the growing epidemic of social isolation and are empowered to help create a culture of inclusion and connectedness at school. 

Learn more about Start with Hello and other Counseling Services programs at www.gpisd.org/counselingprograms.

Simple things kids and teens can do to help prevent social isolation:

1) Start with Hello! A simple hello or a smile can help someone feel included, visible, and cared about - it is also the perfect beginning for introducing yourself to a new friend.

2) Share a positive message with someone who appears sad or isolated. Whether it be a post-it on a notebook, a note in a locker, or a post on social media, letting someone know that they matter can turn their day around in a hurry.

Start With Hello is available to all schools and youth organizations serving youth grades 2 - 12. In addition to young people, Start With Hello will benefit educators, administrators, community-based organization leaders and parents. By building a culture of inclusion and connectedness, schools and communities can better support their young people and reduce their risk of bullying, violence, and depression.

The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of September is Be Kind: Online.

Just as we equip our students with math and reading skills, we also need to prepare them to live in a digital world. GPISD counselors help students understand how to protect their identity online and device passwords. Being mindful of their digital footprint is important at every age.

The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of October is Be Kind: With Words and Actions.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. The GPISD Counseling Services department works with students from pre-k through 12th grade to practice kindness with their words and their actions. #BeKindWithWordsandActions #BeKindGPISD

The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of November is Be Kind: For Your Future.

November is Be Kind For Your Future month! The GPISD Counseling Services, College and Career, and Career and Technical Education Departments collaborate together to support future planning for all students. Whether a student chooses a college, a career or the military, GPISD works to develop a clear plan for after graduation. Join the movement at www.GPISD.org/BeKind. #BeKindForYourFuture #BeKindGPISD

The theme for the Be Kind Grand Prairie ISD campaign for the month of December is Be Kind: Through Giving.

December is Be Kind: Through Giving month. The GPISD Counseling Services work with students and campuses to provide opportunities to give back to their communities. The GPISD family is generous with their time, talents and treasures and encourages you to find ways to give in December. Join the movement at www.GPISD.org/BeKind. #BeKindThroughGiving