The Los Alamitos Elementary school community participated in C.A.R.E.S. Week in April. During a week students, teachers, staff and families engaged in activities to promote a community and culture that demonstrates kindness and empathy. They celebrated that they demonstrate Compassion, take Action, embrace Responsibility, show Empathy and give Support to others.
This included the community service project, LAE C.A.R.E.S. Campaign for Casa Youth Shelter. This non-profit organization located in Los Alamitos, provides emergency temporary shelter for homeless, runaway and abandoned youth, counseling, outreach to schools, parenting classes and conducts a Youth Leadership Program for high school students. The LAE Ambassadors, who serve as student leaders, toured the facility and engaged in a leadership team building activity. In addition, each grade level collected various new items and gift cards and they were presented at the C.A.R.E.S. Week celebration on April 15.
Students were greeted with a special “Wednesday Welcome” by the Ambassadors and teachers and staff who held signs that reflected positive messages and affirmations. This corresponded with the dress theme, “Brighten Someone’s Day” where students wore bright colored or tie dyed clothes and in addition, they were asked to share a smile, give a compliment, hug a friend or make someone laugh.
Various classroom activities were conducted and everyone made a personal commitment to demonstrate kindness, caring and respectful behavior which was then connected to create a “Kindness Chain” that decorated the school.
C.A.R.E.S. Week was sponsored by the LAE Ambassadors. The LAE Ambassador program is an inclusive youth leadership program for fourth and fifth grade students and has fifty-five participants. The year-long program empowers students by providing leadership skills, opportunities and experiences where they make a commitment to lead by example, demonstrate respect and responsibility and engage in community service.
For more information about The Ambassador Program, contact Lysa Gamboa-Levy at laeambassadors@gmail.com or 562.895.0580.
For information about Casa Youth Shelter, call 562.594.6825 or 714.995.8601.
