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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cI love going to work because I see the children at Harris as my own children. I think every educator feels this way. I want to see them grow, be better than they were yesterday, take pride in what they are doing, and see that what they do matters. I want the students at my school to see and believe that they matter. I look at our community as if it is my family, so I want my \u2018children\u2019 to be better, smarter, stronger, etc., than myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawell continued, \u201cKindness is important for so many reasons. For me, it is loving our neighbor. We must teach kindness, as it doesn\u2019t come naturally. Showing kindness to others helps our own mental state. When we are doing something for others, it can take away our stress and improve our mood. When I turned 35, it was a downtime for me, so my children and I made a list of 35 acts of kindness. We delivered cookies, flowers, visited people, called family \u2014 it helped take away the sadness and turned it into joy as we loved those around us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HMS celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOver 40% of our student body is Hispanic, so we want to recognize this strong presence. In the past, students have worn traditional dresses, performed traditional dances, sang, and brought dishes to share with their teachers and their classmates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The library is currently sponsoring \u201cAttitude of Gratitude \u2014 Thank a Teacher for a Pie.\u201d Students are encouraged to write a letter to a teacher that has made a positive impact in their lives, and these will be mailed to the teachers. Students will then have a chance to win a pie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lawell spent nine years teaching at Community High School (CHS) and loved every minute of it. However, when she heard the news that a position was opening in the library at HMS, something within her felt a surge of excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t even know I was ready to move into the library position until that moment. I left something wonderful behind at CHS, but sometimes, you have to lay down what\u2019s good to find what\u2019s best. It\u2019s a blessing for me to be at the same school as my own children. I am now going into my sixth year, and it\u2019s truly the best job ever. I am a teacher, party planner, storefront designer, reader, crafter, gamer, lifelong learner, and encourager \u2014 all wrapped into one,\u201d said Lawell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She and her husband, Ryan, are both from Bedford County and have been married for 17 years. They are active in their church and enjoy going on adventures together with their three children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2018In these bodies, we will live. In these bodies, we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life,\u2019\u201d quoted Lawell. \u201cThis is a line from a song by Mumford and Sons titled \u2018Awake My Soul.\u2019 It is my desire that when people look at me, they see what I love. I love Jesus, my family, my community, reading, adventure, and so much more. I pray that what I love overflows and encourages others to love deeply, too.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For Harris Middle School (HMS) librarian Megan Lawell, extending kindness to others is more than an incentive to focus on one week out of the year. For her, it\u2019s a way of life worth teaching to others. \u201cKindness Week is a nationally recognized week that we wanted to include at HMS,\u201d said Lawell. \u201cOur school […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":23212,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/shelbyville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/11\/1-3-1024x683.png\")
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