Copopa Chronicle
May 28, 2021
Important Dates
9/6- No School Labor Day
9/8- First Day of School for Kindergarten
9/24- Professional Development for Staff- No School for Students
Hello Copopa families! We are now at the end of the school year; it is amazing
sometimes how fast the time goes! Summer is a great time to enjoy some easy going,
lazy times by ourselves, watching clouds go by, running through sprinklers, and games
with friends and family. I hope you all get to hang out with your loved ones and make
memories, we all need that, for sure.
Our third and fourth grade students made kindness rocks this month! I collaborated with
Mrs. Gilkerson, our art teacher, to paint rocks in art class, then we used paint pens and
Sharpies to create messages on our kindness rocks. We watched a few videos about
the origin of kindness rocks, and how one message at just the right time can be the
difference from a bad day to a great day. Students brainstormed ideas about what
positive messages to write on their rocks, we had some great examples, such as,
“gratitude”, “shine bright”, “you can do this”, and so many more. After writing their kind,
positive message on the rock, we brushed on some “Modge Podge” sealer to protect
our rocks from the elements. It was a bit of a messy job, but the students were troopers
and didn’t seem to mind it, especially if they could wash their hands afterwards!
The purpose of creating our kindness rocks is to display them in our “Kindness Rock
Garden” in front of Copopa Elementary School. Students know the rules, if you take a
rock from our garden, the rule is that you must replace it with another kindness rock that
you have created. If we don’t follow those rules, pretty soon all of our rocks will be gone,
and we need to remember that it is for all of us to enjoy, not just the one person that
takes a rock. It is a good lesson to remember and to start to understand the concept of
caring for others and empathy.
If you need some ideas about summer activities, here is a link that has 100 things to do
with kids in the summertime. I hope there are some fun things to do that you can find in
the article! https://www.verywellfamily.com/summer-fun-ideas-kids-and-parents-
3542627
If you need me during the summer, I am just an email away, and I check my emails
every few days, so contact me if you need me. Until we meet again in the fall, Happy
Summer! I can be reached at 440-236-3773 or via email at dunns@columbia.k12.oh.us.
Thanks to the Columbia Local School community for welcoming me this school year. I am so pleased to have been able to assist our students, families and staff.
I will be checking email during the summer, so do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can be of assistance, particularly if you are in need of community resources such as mental health services, food, clothing or other connections.
I wish a safe, fun and healthy summer to all and look forward to a wonderful return in the fall.
Lori McCarthy, M.Ed., L.S.W.
District Social Worker