The month of October was dubbed Anti-Bullying Month at Forest Park Middle School. All month long students have had special cool tools that speak to being accepting, being kind, or just letting something go when it upsets you. Every Monday a new video lesson is shared with students in 9th period and every Friday students and staff wear blue in honor of the theme.
This Tuesday, October 27th, the Middle School welcomed Jarrett Payton, son of the late Bears legend Walter Payton. Jarrett Payton spoke to the students about how he found his passion when he was 12 years old. Just before Christmas, his father brought him to the local Toys R Us store and let him run wild through the ailses with a cart for one hour. Much to Jarrett’s surprise, the loot didn’t go home with him as he’d originally thought that it would. Instead, he and his father drove to an apartment building and proceeded to play Santa for families who would not have been able to have a Christmas that year. In that moment, he said that he found his calling in life–to help others.
The students loved the presentation, loved hearing stories of Walter Payton and the family’s friendship with Michael Jordan. Hopefully, the students have taken his words and the activities from the month of October to heart. Hopefully they will remember #be great.
