Magnolia Elementary

No Place for Hate Pledge

At Magnolia, the No Place for Hate student committee played a leading role in introducing the pledge to our school community. Committee members were divided into small groups and each group prepared a slide for a collaborative slideshow presentation. The presentation explained what it means to be a No Place for Hate school, emphasizing that it is "a promise to the whole school that we stand for kindness, respect, and community.

Activity One:

Students in grades K–5 participated in grade-level specific classroom lessons focused on bullying prevention, empathy, and celebrating diversity. K–1: Students read "You Can Be a Good Friend No Matter What" and sorted actions into “Friendship Growers” and “Friendship Droopers.” They then created and decorated a "Friendship Plant" with positive friendship behaviors. Grades 2–3: Students learned the definition of bullying and what it means to be an upstander. They discussed common bullying scenarios using an interactive Google Slides presentation and reflected on how to take safe, kind action to support peers. Grades 4–5: Students participated in a hands-on lesson called the “Utensil Challenge” to explore the value of diversity. Using a variety of eating utensils (e.g., chopsticks, spoons, tongs), they experienced how each tool has a different purpose—just like each person brings different strengths to their community. The activity reinforced the importance of respecting individual differences to build inclusive, bully-free environments.

Activity Two:

Students in grades K–5 participated in grade-level specific classroom lessons focused on bullying prevention, empathy, and celebrating diversity. K–1: Students read "You Can Be a Good Friend No Matter What" and sorted actions into “Friendship Growers” and “Friendship Droopers.” They then created and decorated a "Friendship Plant" with positive friendship behaviors. Grades 2–3: Students learned the definition of bullying and what it means to be an upstander. They discussed common bullying scenarios using an interactive Google Slides presentation and reflected on how to take safe, kind action to support peers. Grades 4–5: Students participated in a hands-on lesson called the “Utensil Challenge” to explore the value of diversity. Using a variety of eating utensils (e.g., chopsticks, spoons, tongs), they experienced how each tool has a different purpose—just like each person brings different strengths to their community. The activity reinforced the importance of respecting individual differences to build inclusive, bully-free environments.

Activity Three:

In response to student survey data, Magnolia implemented a weeklong Kindness Week initiative as a school-wide effort to promote empathy, inclusion, and a culture of kindness. This initiative was part of the Great Kindness Challenge from Kids for Peace and involved collaboration between student leaders from our Kids for Peace group, PTA members, school staff, and classroom teachers. Activities included daily kindness challenges, PTA-led lunchtime kindness stations (e.g., thank-you card writing, compliment posters), and classroom lessons focused on empathy and respectful communication.