Page 6 - MidWeek - Feb 15, 2023

6 MIDWEEK FEBRUARY 15, 2023
School Massacre Leads Students To ‘Choose Aloha’
“R By Dawn O’Brien, aloha ambassador with the “Choose Aloha” social emotional learning program
un!” Those were than 3 million children and the mind until we reach the love!” says Lewis.
the last words 10,000 schools, including heart, especially after 2020’s That may seem lofty, but of 6-year-old 300-plus in Hawai‘i. lockdown. Since then, schools look closely and you’ ll see
Jesse Lewis, who saved nine “Choose love” and “choose are suffering from higher ab- something so familiar to Ha-
of his first-grade friends who were able to dash out the door. Jesse didn’t. He and 19 classmates, six teachers and the gunman died in what became known as the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre.
aloha” can be recognized all over Hawai‘i, from the lava-dotted countryside of South Point (Ka‘ū High School and Pāhala Elemen- tary School) to the humble classrooms of Hanalei Bay on Kaua‘i. The message is simple and vital: Choosing love is good for students’ health, and for their grades and test scores. That’s good for schools, ‘ohana and our community.
senteeism and lower scores, and “diseases of despair” like vaping, drinking, drugging and self-harm are on the rise. Choose Love teaches resil- ience and overcoming.
wai‘i’s heart: Aloha.
For more information
“Healing, nurturing and love” were the three words Jesse left on his mother’s fridge that fateful morn- ing. Scarlett Lewis found them, and they inspired her to launch the Choose Love Movement. It started in 2014 and now impacts 120 nations, all 50 U.S. states, and more
Choose Aloha’s SEL (so- cial emotional learning) pro- gram is for individuals of all ages, from pre-kindergarten to seniors. Youth learn prac- tical daily habits for choosing their best life no matter what.
about Choose Aloha in your school, the free, all-digital curriculum is a click away. Visit chooselovemovement. org, and for free services, contact dawn@jesselewis- chooselove.org.
How is “choose love” so ef- fective? It addresses this root principle: We cannot teach
“We cannot choose what happens to us, but we can always choose our response, and we can always choose
To support our local non- profit, you may purchase our children’s book, Aloha Allova: A Sacred Secret to Save the Day, which is avail- able on Amazon or at Logos Bookstore on O‘ahu. Aloha always wins!
Choose Love Founder Scarlett Lewis (right) visited August Ahrens Elementary School last October with aloha ambassadors Kaleo Pilanca (left) and Dawn O’Brien. PHOTO COURTESY KALEO PILANCA
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