Becoming certified

is a four-week process where each classroom must have a minimum of two

activities per week focusing on the effects of labeling. One activity

that everyone must participate in is reading Ross' book, "Casey and

the Amazing, Giant, Green Shirt."

The story centers

around a young boy named Casey who finds his grandfather's old Army shirt

and notices that a badge is missing from it. He asks his mother to make

him a badge to fill the space and she gives him the task of deciding what

the badge should say. Casey takes a whole week, choosing a different word

each day: special, brave, smart, nice, fast, patriotic and loved. Through

his journey to find the perfect word for his badge, he learns about the

joy of positive words and the pain of unkind ones.

School counselor

Billie Anderson became interested in bringing the KC3 certified program

to Braelinn after reading about it and the book in a local Atlanta newspaper.

She immediately contacted Ross and the two of them began working on the

certification process in early January.

"I think

one of our biggest problems at Braelinn is that kids are quick to use

words that can hurt other's feelings, but they don't realize how long

the effects of negative words will last," said Anderson. "If

we can get them to see the long-term effects through this program, then

hopefully it will change their behavior."

For four weeks,

everyone at the school students, teachers, staff and administrators has

made a promise to use only positive labels for each other and themselves.

Research has shown that it takes a minimum of 21 days of repeated activity

to form a habit, so Anderson hopes that after the four-week period is

up, everyone at the school will be in the habit of using positive labels.

Although individual

classrooms are doing their own positive label projects, everyone at the

school is involved in a school-wide activity where each person must think

of one word that represents them. That word will be put on a paper shirt

and hung on a clothesline that will span the halls of the school. In all,

about 850 shirts with positive labels will hang on the clothesline.

Although Braelinn

is just getting started with the certification process, Anderson says

she can already see some positive changes in the students. Ben Wiley,

a third grader, says it best.

"I say

'put downs' are one of the worst things you could do to somebody. If we

stopped doing 'put downs' we could have better schools and communities.

No 'put downs' is one big rule in our school and Mrs. Anderson has helped

us understand that."

Feb. 11, Braelinn

will have completed its certification process and will become the first

KC3-certified positive label school. To mark the occasion, Ross will come

to the school to officially award a special plaque as well as conduct

a one-hour seminar for parents on how to have a positive label home. Throughout

the year, Anderson said, she hopes teachers will continue to conduct individual

classroom activities to foster the positive label concept.

"This

is a simple idea that has the potential of being a very effective one.

If students can learn to use positive labels for each other and themselves,

their future will be a kinder one," Anderson adds.

The KC3 certification

is being tied to the school's Children at Risk in Education and Second

Step programs. Both programs help to create a positive and safe school

environment for all students. Braelinn will receive its positive label

certification just as National Random Acts of Kindness Week commences

Feb. 11-17.