91制片

How does the Happiness Advantage manifest itself among our staff?

Consider Les Shepherd, director of buildings and grounds in the Cardinal Community School District. He is a poet. After Cardinal schools introduced their Orange Frog program last December, which encourages people to think more positively, now everyone knows about his passion.

鈥淓ver since I was a little kid, I have always had a talent for making up songs and rhymes,鈥� Shepherd said. 鈥淚 grew up with Dr. Seuss, and it really stuck with me.鈥�

He now e-mails poems to his coworkers at least once a week.

鈥淚f we do not have a poem in the morning,鈥� said curriculum director Cindy Green, 鈥渕any staff members will be e-mailing him, asking him where the poem is.鈥�

Shepherd even penned an Orange Frog motto for the schools. The poems cover topics that inspire him: It could be the sunrise or an academic event. He鈥檚 always scanning the environment for something positive to share.

鈥淚 am just happy knowing that I could help put a smile on someone鈥檚 face because I know it鈥檚 contagious,鈥� he quips.

Attending to Positive

Cardinal students are coming to understand the power of positive through the school鈥檚 staff. A prime example is attendance secretary Brenda Stevens, leader of Cardinal鈥檚 Positivity Challenge. She decided she would select students throughout the week and challenge them to improve their personal outlook.

Ninth-grader Jadelyn Jones was having a bad day. She had woken up late, almost missed her bus and was counting down the hours until she could go back to sleep. She made a stop by the school鈥檚 attendance office to talk her problems out with Stevens.

鈥淪he gave me one minute to get all of my complaints out,鈥� Jones explained. 鈥淎fter that, she challenged me to be more positive the rest of the day.鈥�

Jones had her doubts, but she gave the challenge a shot and immediately felt an impact.

鈥淓very time I started to say something negative, I would catch myself and try to re-examine the situation with a positive outlook,鈥� she added.

Stevens checked in with Jones and her teacher throughout the day to see how she was progressing. At the end of the day, Stevens gave Jones a stuffed orange frog to celebrate her accomplishment.