Northwest’s anti-cyberbullying campaign goes nationwide

Northwest DECA members Alex Wespi, Broc Cramer and Maddie Bazzelle have received national attention for their public relations campaign to prevent cyberbullying, including attention from John Walsh, host of America’s Most Wanted. The students’ campaign will be used this year by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, with Walsh being the spokesperson.

During the 2010-11 school year, the students created the anti-cyberbullying campaign, which earned them first place in the Kansas DECA Career Development Conference in Kansas City and qualified them to present at the International DECA Competition in Orlando, Florida. They received a fifth-place medal at the international  competition. Wespi, Cramer and Bazzelle, along with their teacher, Jeff Darr, were invited to attend lunch on September 1 at Cox Communications to meet John Walsh during his Wichita visit. The students were asked to present their anti-cyberbullying campaign during lunch.

“John was so impressed with the students that he asked them to do their public relations campaign this year on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,” Darr said. The students and Darr were also invited to Walsh’s studio in Washington, DC to film their television commercial and produce their radio commercial. He also offered to be the spokesperson for both.

Mueller students earn chances to eat in lunch cockpit

Mueller Engineering and Aerospace Discovery Magnet, along with Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and representatives from the Aviation Industry Community Partners, kicked off National Aerospace Week with a special surprise for students. During two assemblies, the school unveiled their lunch cockpit, which is a large display board with a view of downtown Wichita from the cockpit of a plane.

Students who follow the school’s CHAMPS expectations are given a Boarding Pass. A Boarding Pass from each class is chosen on Fridays and the students and one of their friends can eat at a special table that has the lunch cockpit surrounding the table. CHAMPS is a proactive and positive approach to classroom management.

“This is a great gift to our school,” said principal Jaime Hutchinson. “The students are really excited about it and it’s a great way to reinforce the importance of positive behavior.”

Several of the school’s business partners were present in the unveiling, including Exploration Place and members from the Aviation Industry Community Partners, comprised of Spirit Aerosystems, Boeing, Cessna and Airbus.

PVE student has surprise homecoming in class

Joshua Clark, second-grade student at Pleasant Valley Elementary, received a special surprise in school for his birthday – his father. Army Sergeant Joshua Clark, returned from serving in Afghanistan a couple of days early to surprise his son for his eighth birthday.

The class was in the middle of a lesson about the U.S. Constitution, the American Flag, and citizenship. The students were told they would have a special guest when Sgt. Clark walked in the room.

“Daddy!” Joshua exclaimed as he ran and hugged his father.

Sgt. Clark has been serving in Afghanistan for the past four months, which is his second deployment away from his family. He is home for a couple of weeks before going back to finish his tour of duty. Joshua said having his father home is exactly what he wanted for his birthday