Students and staff at Kanaka Creek Elementary have put together a video featuring different languages to show what kindness and inclusion sound like at the school.
The video, created by English Language Learners (ELL) teacher Natasha Newberry, was inspired by the school’s motto: “Together, we are better.”
“I wanted to showcase the rich diversity of our school community, and that when we come together with kindness and celebrate our differences, this diversity becomes a strength rather than a barrier,” Newberry explained.
Thirty-five ELL students from grades 1 to 5 and four staff members participated in the project.
Over the month of February, Newberry worked closely with her students to shape the project and come up with the messages they wanted to share.
The video begins with students sharing why they are better together and highlighting the differences that make them unique. It concludes with students and staff saying the school’s motto in many different languages.
“The students were beyond excited to participate in the project,” said Newberry. “It was special that some of my students who are just beginning to learn English were so proud to share their home language in the video.”
“Providing multilingual students with the opportunity to use their first language acknowledges their linguistic strengths and allows their full capabilities to be seen,” she added.
While the idea for the project had been on Newberry’s mind for a while, she said it came together naturally during kindness month and aligned with International Mother Language Day on February 21, which promotes awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity.
The video was premiered at the school’s kindness month assembly on February 25, where it was warmly received by students, staff and parents.
“I was touched by the reaction,” Newberry said. “From seeing the kids’ faces light up when they saw themselves on the screen, to the comments from students, staff and parents alike on how deeply it resonated with them, it was a feel-good moment.”
Newberry hopes the video helps students see their linguistic abilities as a strength rather than an obstacle.
“I want students to remember that choosing kindness, rather than letting differences divide us, creates the space for us to grow and learn more from each other,” she said. “Together, we have the potential to do great things – kindness is the key to achieving it.”