Cuyahoga Heights Middle and High School students spent the week of September 8 making new connections and showing how something as simple as saying “hello” can help create a welcoming school community.

Students in grades 6-12 participated in Start With Hello Week, inspired by Sandy Hook Promise’s national Start With Hello program. The initiative encourages students to reach out, build connections, and ensure their classmates feel seen, included, and valued.

Each day gave students a different way to put the message into action. During Table Talk Tuesday, conversation starter cards at lunch encouraged students to learn something new about their classmates. On Wear Green Wednesday, students and staff wore green to support the Start With Hello movement.

The activities continued with That’s Hello Thursday, when teachers displayed greetings in different languages outside their classroom doors. Students learned the greetings and used them with teachers and classmates throughout the day. The week ended with Find a Friend Friday, featuring a “Meet Someone New” bingo game that challenged students to connect with classmates they might not normally talk to.

Start With Hello Week reinforced an important message for Cuyahoga Heights students: building a strong school community can begin with the smallest of gestures.

Whether starting a conversation, learning a new greeting, or reaching out to someone new, students learned that every hello counts and every conversation matters.