APS HomeStudentsWeb ShowcaseSixth Avenue Students "Mix It Up" at Lunch
Aurora Public Schools
spacerPicking up the PACE!  
spacer

Resources

Contact Us

Sixth Avenue Students "Mix It Up" at Lunch

This month, Sixth Avenue Elementary students joined more than 4 million students around the nation to "shake things up" for the fifth annual “Mix It Up at Lunch Day.”  

More than 9,000 schools participated in the program. The concept is simple but powerful: for one day, students sit with someone new at lunch.  Teachers Marie Hodges and Denise Alcala, along with the Faculty Diversity Committee, organized the lunch event as a way to promote new interactions and experiences for students.
topleft   topright
 

“This event is designed to support a culture of learning here at Sixth Avenue Elementary and to encourage student ideas for further collaborative activities.”
- Marie Hodges
Sixth Avenue Elementary teacher

 
   
bottomleft   bottomright

Staff members encouraged students to sit at a table with others to form new social groups.  Students introduced themselves to their new group.

topleft   topright
 

“We’re friends but we hardly sit together. I'm glad we did today.”
- Maria
Sixth Avenue Elementary fourth-grade student

 
   
bottomleft   bottomright
Students also used sentence starters and questions they learned in class to help “break the ice,” such as “Who is your favorite singer?” and "What are some fun things you like to do?"
The "mix it up" lunch helped students forge new friendships and learn about each other in a fun and relaxed setting.
topleft   topright
 

“I remember last year when I was new—Beatrice, Kendra and Jorge said ‘Hey come play with us.’  It felt good to have friends on my first day.”
-Issaid
Sixth Avenue Elementary student

 
   
bottomleft   bottomright
The Southern Poverty Law Center sponsors “Mix It Up at Lunch Day” as part of their Teaching Tolerance program.
Read other great stories about APS students! Submit your own good news story!
spacer
Aurora Public Schools Home