At Oxford Elementary, no good deed goes unnoticed.
Just ask all the students and teachers whose photos and positive accomplishments are prominently featured on the school’s Action Wall. (Some of them are featured in the blue-shaded box.)
‘It’s a space we’ve created where we’re documenting students that take action,? said Rachel Hart, fourth-grade teacher and coordinator for the school’s effort to become an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.
The wall is a physical reminder of an integral part of the IB program called the ‘Action Cycle,? which teaches students to ‘choose, act and reflect.?
‘We encourage the students to take action based on what they’ve learned (in the classroom) or to get involved somehow in their community or with things they care about,? Hart explained. ‘It helps them focus on their decisions and what they want to do with what they’ve learned.?
From blood drives and recycling programs to volunteering at animal shelters and cleaning up urban blight, the wall features actions designed ‘to make the world a better place.?
‘A small action can make a big difference to other people,? Hart said.
The wall features a large, triangular-shaped mirror donated and installed by Harmon Glass Doctor, located at 40 N. Washington St. in Oxford. Around it ? in large, colorful letters ? are the words ‘choose, act and reflect.?
Hart said the wall is designed ‘to encourage others to take action about the things that they care about.?
‘It just keeps growing,? she said. ‘It encourages other kids to make a difference.?