Written by Avalyn Fulkerson, 5th grade
When I first stepped foot onto Tamarack’s campus three years ago, I suddenly felt a connection, like I belonged there. I felt like this school was perfect for me and it almost felt like home. The best way I could describe this feeling was that it felt like “family.”
This feeling of family has been around since the school was founded in 1962. The Tamarack “family” is the connection of teachers, students, parents, and visitors that make one another feel welcome and special. The concept of family in our school has helped Tamarack’s students improve in education and social interaction; it has had a big impact on us ever since, and it continues to grow each day.
For example, the teachers are extremely thoughtful and caring; they all have helped us improve when it comes to our education and how we learn. They also have done very kind things for our own good. Just this month, we have started a kindness program to help spread positivity in our community. Some things Tamarack is doing include a “Kindness Bingo” chart and a school-wide kindness paper chain. Each Friday, during the month of February, we participate in an event where students can wear spirit wear. For example, we wore pajamas on the second Friday of February. Additionally, if you go above and beyond, you might even get a kindness yard sign placed in your front yard!
Another kindness initiative our school is doing is the #BeKindTES news notes our teachers give us. These are given when you are caught showing ALL-STAR effort in being kind. These are reported in our morning news. The morning news is a video everyone in Tamarack watches every morning about things that occur in our school and community. Our principal, Mrs. Munsey, always says, “Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours!”
To sum it up, as a Tamarack family, we try to focus on being kind. We know that small acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day, and we understand as peers that it is always necessary to be good to others. This is how we strengthen our bond as a Tamarack family. As the saying goes, “Once a Tamarack STAR, ALWAYS a Tamarack STAR!”