Paper chain reminds Roosevelt Elementary students in Willmar of their efforts to care for others
Dec. 8—WILLMAR — What started as strips of red, yellow, pink, purple, blue and green construction paper has become a chain of caring thoughts that crisscross the central hallway of Roosevelt Elementary School.
The Willmar school has built the paper chains for about a decade under the guidance of Child Guide Heidi Burton.
Students study a different positive character trait each month. The trait in November was caring, and Burton distributed the strips of paper to teachers who had their students write about ways they can show caring toward others.
The trait for December is gratitude. Burton and other staff members stapled the hundreds of strips of paper into a chain that drapes back and forth across the hallway.
The chain will stay up through December, if it survives the children who can't seem to resist jumping up to see if they can touch it.
"The kids love it," Burton said. "They all know this is a chain to remind you these are things you're working on."
The messages on the rings are sweet and sincere.
In the school for grades prekindergarten through fifth, younger children drew pictures or had their teacher write on their strips. Lots of kids used stickers on theirs.
Many of the rings mention being kind and sharing. Others mention helping with the dishes or picking up trash.
One says, "I'm going to work on not bullying at school." Another says simply, "Keep trying."
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