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Every year on the first day of school, teachers have stood at the front of the class and preached to their classes about the “anti-bullying” policy. Most of the students just filled out the papers and didn’t really pay attention.

Bellwood Antis Science Teacher, Miss Carrie Clippard a leader of the newest Renaissance movement, wants to make sure that this year, students pay attention. She wants to extend this lesson beyond just one morning.

If you have Miss Clippard for class, or have even passed by her room lately, you’ve seen the blue and yellow notecards hung beside her door. If you look closely, the cards have the nicest thing that someone has ever said to them.

• “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
• “You are the light of the world.”
• “You make me a better person.”

She wants her to students to remember the good things in their life as she understands not everything can be all sunshine and rainbows all the time.

“But what you can do in those times is reflect on what you do have to be thankful for, remind yourself of those times in life when you have been truly joyful, and move on each day in anticipation of the next sunrise,” Miss Clippard said.

She unashamedly admits that most of her great ideas come from other, just as great, teachers. This positivity movement was adapted by her mother, who is a teacher at Altoona where they also do the anti-bullying and positivity curricula.

Yet, her goal is not just to decorate the school in bright colors, smile, and move on.

“The idea is that a positive school climate furthers a positive school culture and I can, as a teacher, locally create a climate with what I do,” she commented.

Her students have even come to her and told her that this little project made them feel appreciated and that it’s made them see how other people are cared for.

The main thing she wants to remind her students is “Don’t miss out on life.”