Quick look: Students across Los Alamitos Unified welcomed one another with smiles, signs and greetings during Start With Hello Week, a districtwide effort to strengthen connection and belonging. The initiative displays their commitment to helping every student feel seen, valued and connected at school.
With teachers and peers greeting students at the front gates, holding signs that read, “It’s great to see you!” and “Hello” in multiple languages, students across the Los Alamitos Unified School District were welcomed to campus with a simple message that they belong.
The greetings were part of the district’s participation in Start With Hello Week, a national initiative from the nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise that encourages students to recognize social isolation, reach out to those who may feel alone or left out and build more connected school communities.
Led by wellness counselors across Los Alamitos Unified’s nine campuses, the week gave students and staff opportunities to put those lessons into action. At elementary schools, students created posters to welcome their peers onto campus. Teachers and staff greeted students as they arrived, while students found opportunities throughout the week to say hello to someone they might not otherwise interact with.
At Los Alamitos High School, wellness counselor Emily Ledterman worked with the student-led psychology and wellness club to bring more students into the effort. Staff members wore Start With Hello shirts, and students and teachers were encouraged to have conversations on kindness and connection.
The effort reflects a larger goal for staff districtwide to help students find meaningful connections at school, whether through a sport, performing arts program, club or simply a relationship with a peer or trusted adult.
Creating avenues for connection
The district has participated in Start With Hello for several years, and Ledterman said the high school is now looking to bring the campaign to campus twice each semester. The district also hopes to expand the initiative more frequently at its elementary and middle schools, with students taking on larger leadership roles in planning activities.
“The impact of having one person recognize and say hello to you could change someone’s day,” Ledterman said. “I’m a firm believer in that, and our teachers do a great job of making that connection to our students, so it starts us out on a really great note.”
The district is also emphasizing connection through its Unified program, which includes unified games at lunch and a unified drama program designed to bring students from general and special education together to create opportunities for shared experiences.
Los Alamitos Unified Superintendent Dr. Andrew Pulver said the week serves as a reminder of what the district hopes to see throughout its schools every day.
“Kindness is woven into the DNA of Los Alamitos Unified and reflected in care, our first core value,” Pulver said. “Start With Hello Week gives us an opportunity to shine a light on something we want every day across our schools, making sure every student feels seen, valued, included and knows they belong.”