'You made someone's day better': We All Belong Campaign creates positive culture at Lockport City Schools

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — The holidays are a time all about kindness and helping make those around feel special. Lockport City School District is doing this through its "Blizzard of Kindness", a yearly tradition at Aaron Mossell Junior High School. The blizzard fills the foyer of the school with paper snowflakes that have positive messages written on them.

"If someone reads a snowflake that maybe I wrote that it could possibly make someone feel better," Mossell 8th grader Adienne Cardy said. "That’s what matters that it made someone happier. You made someone’s day better."

Other schools in the district are following Mossell's suit including Anna Merritt Elementary and Emmet Belknap Intermediate. The students made chains that have messages and different good deeds the students have done.

All of this is apart of the district's new "We All Belong" campaign — an initiative focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.

"We wanted to make sure that every child felt as if they were special when they walk through the doors every single day and our families felt that same feeling as well." Lockport City School District Superintendent Dr. Mathis Calvin said.

The new D.E.I. campaign comes as some states across the country are pushing to restrict D.E.I. in schools. Lockport City School District is holding strong on a commitment to uphold D.E.I. values.

"I think it’s very critical," Calvin said. "We can’t do the work that we need to do with and for our students unless we make sure again everyone feels welcomed, that everyone is affirmed, but also that everyone is celebrated in our schools."

A branch of the We All Belong campaign is a district-wide agreement to Rachel's Challenge, an anti-bullying campaign started after the Columbine school shooting.
According to Superintendent Calvin, the campaign has already had a positive impact on the district. Lockport City Schools have seen a decrease in the suspension rate for bullying this year.

"I think what we're seeing across the district is that kids are happy to come to school. Kids are safe when they come to school," Calvin said. "But also, kids are building relationships with no only themselves, but with our staff and their doing that through these random acts of kindness."

Along with the drop in the suspension rate for bullying, the students themselves are seeing a positive impact amongst the student body.

"I think it brings us closer as a family," Mossell 8th grader Piper Sparks said. "[The messages] can make someone's day whether you know them or not."

The hope amongst students like Mossell 7th grader Kavon Smith is that this campaign will influence and help create a welcoming environment for future students.

"It’s knowing that you’re still leaving a positive impact for like the next people to come up," Smith said. "Kind of like refill those shoes so it can keep going just like the Rachel’s Challenge talked about, the chain reaction so it can just keep going and going."

So if you're ever feeling down, Lockport City Schools wants you to remember: