February 15th, 2019

As a new school to the HERO Generation program by Plasticity, the students and staff of Tait Street Public School were grateful to receive a donation of $1000 from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) on Tuesday, February 5. The money will go towards funding the HERO Generation project, which was launched at the beginning of the school year thanks to the generous support of Tait’s School Council.

The HERO Generation is a flexible framework that can be adapted to each school’s existing curriculum, using the lens of HERO Traits, which emphasize social-emotional development. Activities, ranging from individual to group settings, are focused on supporting staff and student well-being. Students are not only learning these social-emotional skills but putting them into action on a daily basis. As the project builds, families will be engaged in communication, allowing them to support this social-emotional learning at home.

Mandi Bond, Chair of School Council, explained that they see the seven traits as vital to the long-term success of children in life and at school.

“We are excited to support a program that makes it easier for teachers, students, and caregivers to use and encourage these important traits in everyday situations with a common language,” Bond said. “We view the program as an investment in a whole community mindset change, not just a short-lived campaign. We look forward to growing with our staff and students.”

Toyota Employees Present a Cheque to Tait Street School Administrators.

Dave Pley and Peter Mullen from Toyota present a cheque to Principal Paul Milne, Vice-Principal Karen Grant-O’Grady and Jim Moss, Co-Founder & Chief Happiness Officer of Plasticity.

Dave Pley and Peter Mullen from Toyota were on hand to present the cheque to thankful administrators, Principal Paul Milne and Vice-Principal Karen Grant-O’Grady. Toyota’s interest in supporting the HERO Generation project was piqued after a professional development event hosted by Plasticity, the organization behind the program, was held for their leadership teams. Eager to play a role in the success of the HERO Generation, Toyota selected Tait Street Public School as the recipient of their funding.

Jim Moss, Co-Founder & Chief Happiness Officer of Plasticity, was also at the school to host an assembly revealing February’s HERO trait: empathy. Tait’s staff and students report they are already seeing the positive impact on well-being with the HERO Generation’s emphasis on hope, gratitude, mindfulness and empathy so far this school year.

Twice a week, teachers offer up their lunches to lead a Mindfulness Club in the library, giving students a chance to participate in mindful colouring, reading and math-based activities. The goal is to provide students with a quiet, peaceful space to help them be ready to learn after the nutrition break. Students also take part in activities designed to enhance their learning about the social-emotional traits outlined in the HERO Generation project. For example, in February, students will be working on beaded empathy bracelets that will help them identify their feelings and understand the feelings of others.

As the students and staff of Tait Street Public school progress in their learning with the HERO Generation framework, there’s no doubt that support from community partners like Toyota will go a long way towards helping the entire community to benefit as a result.

Interested in learning more about HERO Generation?