A charitable & foundational partnerships to ensure that portions of proceeds and/or profits are channeled to organizations dedicated to building better lives for underprivileged kids.
Today we had the privilege of bringing our Hero Assembly to the students at Laning Elementary School, in Verona, New Jersey. From the moment we arrived, we could tell that Laning Elementary was filled with heroes. We were greeted with great big smiles and lots of cheers. It was a wonderful day!
The students, teachers, and staff members all participated in our program. They encouraged one another during our role plays, and supported one another throughout our energetic show.
We were incredibly impressed with the answers students offered to the question, “How is it cool to be kind?” As Kevin, a first grader, stated, “You are kind when you stop and ask yourself how you can help!” Thank you Kevin! You clearly are a hero!
Teachers, students, and staff, complimented our assembly, stating that it was “relevant,” “enthusiastic,” and “hit home” with their students. They shared that our videos were relatable and engaging. One noted that all students were receptive to our strategies and were already using BETTER THAN THAT(tm) as we were leaving.
For more information on our Hero Assembly, to book a program at your school, or to donate an assembly to an underprivileged school, please email leighann@wearthecapekids.com
Around the beginning of the school year, I had asked my son what his goal was for the year ahead. I was heartbroken by his answer. I had expected to hear that he wanted to get good grades, but what I heard was a knife to my chest.
“This year my goal is to be the coolest kid in the third grade.”
Yes, you read that right. My son’s goal was to be accepted by the “cool” kids, a.k.a. the popular crowd. My son had been friends with the “cool kids” in Kindergarten and first grade. He had no trouble making or keeping friends. Then, one day, half-way through second grade, one of the group’s leaders decided that Timmy was not “cool.” He was then bullied for the rest of the school year.
From that day forward Timmy was excluded. He was no longer invited to play dates, was left out at recess, and wasn’t invited to birthday parties. My heart ached for my young son, as I watched him struggle with this every day
I tried to console Timmy. I planned play dates with other children and encouraged other friendships. I spoke to his teachers and guidance counselor, who tried to help. However, Timmy still struggled. He missed his friends. Daily, he watched them play at recess, from the sidelines. He could not comprehend what he had done to be shunned by his classmates and blamed himself.
Of course, I blamed myself. I wasn’t a “cool” mom. I didn’t have “cool” play dates or parties. I didn’t hang with the “cool” moms or carpool the “cool” kids. Suddenly I felt as ostracized as my child.
Out of options and patience, I turned to the Internet for comfort and help. It was then that I learned of Wear the Cape. As I perused the organization’s website, a warm feeling of compassion and hope swept over me.
After months of watching my son struggle, the answer was right there within one of Wear the Cape’s taglines: IT’S COOL TO BE KIND. Immediately I knew I needed to redefine “cool” to my child….and his friends.
“Wear The Cape,” be “Better Than That,” and “It’s Cool to be Kind” became everyday phrases in our home. From the inspiration of Wear the Cape, my children and I had a new goal – to spread kindness. We practiced random acts of kindness every day. This cost us little, but in doing this we gained so much! We saw how our deeds impacted others in a positive way.
We were uplifted by the reaction others had to our kindness. Every smile, every thank you, and every, “that made my day” made our days brighter. My son was no longer plagued by his situation. Rather, he made other friends and soon his old friends and new friends were all playing well together. There was no longer an “us” or “them;” it was simply kids having fun at recess.
Three years have passed since my son’s ordeal. Timmy, who now prefers to be called Tim, is in middle school and has many friends. When I asked him if he wanted to be the “coolest” kid in middle school, his reply was heartwarming. With a knowing smile, he replied:
“Well, it’s cool to be kind. So…yeah. I want to be cool!”
“Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.” – Dennis Prager
This past year reinforced that teaching our children the lesson above makes a real difference. Showing goodness in how we treat others changes the world, one interaction at a time. At Wear the Cape, we call this being BETTER THAN THAT™, or embodying heroism by standing up for what is right and choosing kindness over bullying.
We received countless messages from parents, teachers, and children in 2017 sharing how Wear the Cape has changed their lives, or the lives of those around them, for the better. One parent, in tears, relayed her son’s story. For months his classmates bullied him, but he didn’t tell anyone for fear that it would get worse. After watching Wear the Cape’s Hero Assembly, this first grader gained the skills and confidence needed to stand up to those tormenting him. He also made the choice to tell his parents, teachers, and guidance counselor, who all worked together to help resolve the situation.
This past year, the number of Hero Assemblies that Wear the Cape has brought to schools throughout New Jersey climbed to 41. Students as far as Sarasota, Florida learned how to STOP and THINK whether their decisions will HELP or HURT – and the assembly was even featured on Suncoast News! Sycamore Drive Early Education Childhood Center in Hazlet, New Jersey was so impressed with Wear the Cape’s assembly that they created a presentation based on the program for their November Board of Education Meeting. Wow! What an honor.
In 2017, Wear the Cape was also thrilled to create and publish its first children’s book titled, It’s Good To Be Kingd, written by Lauren DuBois Rosemond and illustrated by Marco Cutrone. Many bloggers praised the book, and many a home and classroom have enjoyed hearing the story of Leonard the Lion—admired by all other animals as King of the Jungle—who wears a red cape and uses his power and status to make a positive impact on those around him..
Additionally, children in Paterson, Bound Brook, and Camden are reading It’s Good To Be Kingd in their classrooms, as Wear the Cape’s kidkind Foundation gifted books to underprivileged areas as part of its initiative to donate 1,000 books to Kindergarten classrooms across the nation. It’s Good to Be Kingd can be purchased on Amazon.com or Wear the Cape’s website, where copies can also be donated.
What’s more, Wear the Cape introduced two new Hero Items this fall: the “Don’t Bottle Up Your Love” Thermos and our Kindness Spinner. Both can be purchased in our online shop!
At Wear the Cape’s annual holiday fundraiser, 30 elementary, middle, and high school-aged kids volunteered their time and talents to make the night a huge success. Children greeted guests with big smiles and even bigger hearts, as guests brought gifts for orphaned children at the NJ Children’s Home Society and donations for our troops overseas, which will be shipped via Operation Cares NJ.
Wear the Cape has its sights set on another giant goodness-making initiative in 2018. On the heels of great success with our elementary level presentation, we will be developing an assembly for middle school students. Be on the lookout for the big reveal this spring!
Restoring the power of kindness and heroic character is our mission at Wear the Cape…and words can’t describe how it feels to hear that our mission is being accomplished. Our team is beyond grateful for all you have done to show our youth that they can be heroes every day and to spread kindness throughout our communities. Love, after all, is the only way to win against hate.
Let’s fill the world with warmth this holiday season! And we wish you a happy, healthy, heroic 2018!
Today we had the privilege of bringing our Hero Assembly to the students at Laning Elementary School, in Verona, New Jersey. From the moment we arrived, we could tell that Laning Elementary was filled with heroes. We were greeted with great big smiles and lots of cheers. It was a wonderful day!
