This past week, the counseling department led “We Belong Week” to encourage social connection in the Poolesville community. Hero Club, which spearheaded the series of events, decided to implement the initiative after learning about it through their involvement with the organization Our Minds Matter.
The Hero Club began over a decade ago. Its name originates from a middle school student who suggested the acronym, which spells out “Help Everyone Respect Others.” The club’s mission is to promote kindness at Poolesville by mentoring students and hosting events to foster wellness.
Our Minds Matter, formerly named the Josh Anderson Foundation after a teenager who committed suicide, was founded in 2012 in Virginia. Its mission was to end teen suicide and support youth mental health. We Belong Week is a national initiative created by Our Minds Matter, which provides support for schools looking to host their own week.
“[We Belong Week] creates opportunities and events for students to feel connected and maybe even meet some new people,” counselor Melissa Nagy stated.
According to Nagy, she and the Hero Club chose this week because it had five full school days and limited events. Additionally, Feel Good Friday was already planned, making it easier to implement We Belong Week.
The Hero Club, led by junior Charlie Gleason since last year, plans to continue hosting Feel Good Fridays and organize more events this spring. Nagy also mentioned the club’s visit to John Poole Middle School in the spring, where they will work with eighth graders to prepare them for high school.
