This article was written by Erik Lynch, Ed.D., principal of Nassau Elementary School in the Spackenkill Union Free School District. Nassau serves about 300 students in kindergarten through second grade in Poughkeepsie, New York. The Spackenkill district, located in western Dutchess County and founded in 1865, has grown from a one-room schoolhouse into a Pre-K–12 district of about 1,500 students. At Nassau, The Positivity Project helps the district’s youngest learners build a shared language of character strengths and the Other People Mindset, from Grade K onward.
At Nassau Elementary, some of our most memorable character lessons come from students a few years further along in their own journeys. Our monthly Positivity Project assemblies bring kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students together to celebrate the strengths they are learning in class—and to see those strengths in action.
Middle school and high school students visit Nassau as part of the AVID program to explore the same P2 traits our children are studying. Through fun activities, skits, and personal stories, they make character tangible. Courage, teamwork, leadership, and integrity become choices that children can recognize in school and beyond.
Little moments of bravery
One example of the older students’ approach is a bravery-focused assembly built around three skits. The Nassau children are asked to identify the “little moments of bravery” in each scene. For each grade, a middle school student, a high school underclassman, and a senior then discuss situations at school that require them to be brave.
The situations change as students grow, but the strengths remain useful. These activities invite our youngest learners to watch, think, and participate.
Real stories from student leaders
At a year-end assembly, a high school basketball captain described leading when his team was down and the crowd was against them. He talked about bringing his teammates into a huddle—a concrete example of helping others stay together when things get difficult.
Another student explained the courage and leadership it takes to ask a question when you do not understand something in class. He reminded our children that their question frequently helps classmates who are wondering the same thing. It was a lesson they could carry straight back to their classrooms.
A high school crew team coxswain connected character strengths to experiences on the Hudson River. Another student offered a thoughtful connection to integrity, adding depth to the discussion. A middle school student explained the difference between being a vocal leader and leading by example, showing our children that there is more than one way to lead.
These personal stories were a wonderful way to close the P2 school year. They helped our children see that character matters at every age—and that older students are still learning and practicing it, too.
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Nassau students practice teamwork with older peers. |
Principal Lynch speaks at a P2 assembly. |
Catching character in action
Our assemblies also celebrate the character already present at Nassau. Teachers select a student from each class who has demonstrated leadership through a specific P2 trait. Each child receives a certificate and public praise recognizing that strength in action.
The recognition connects a classroom lesson to something a child has actually done. It tells students that we notice their choices and the ways they contribute to our community. It also gives their classmates a familiar example of character worth celebrating.
A shared language across Spackenkill
Our grade-level assemblies build on classroom learning about strengths such as curiosity, teamwork, open-mindedness, integrity, and creativity, as well as the Other People Mindset: being present, giving others our attention, and understanding that our words and actions affect others.
As principal, I value the connection these visits create. Our older students practice leadership by guiding younger children. Our youngest learners see people they admire using the very strengths they are learning—and discover that they can use those strengths today. Through those relationships, shared stories, and moments of recognition, P2 becomes part of the way our school community grows together.
Erik Lynch
Erik Lynch is the principal of Nassau Elementary School in New York’s Spackenkill Union Free School District. He began his career as an elementary teacher in 2007 and has served as a principal since 2015. He has successfully implemented The Positivity Project in two school districts at both the elementary and middle school levels. Erik earned his doctorate in education from the University at Buffalo, researching teacher perceptions of childhood change and the decline of play. A proud husband and father of four, he is passionate about helping children develop character, independence, and meaningful relationships. He believes The Positivity Project helps create school communities where every child feels connected and valued.
