BE A FRIEND THEME NIGHT

by Beth Pennington, Kaya Wang, and Yaxin Zhao

Monday's Core Course was the first PCC theme night since 2012. The theme of the program this summer is "Be A Friend" which encourages everyone to be the best version of ourselves and to be kind to everyone we meet so we can make strong friendships. This theme was expressed through different activities that if we are there for our friends and care for others we will create great relationships. The first activity was a song that the program has been singing for years called "You've Got A Friend" by James Taylor. With the melody playing in their ears, the students then were given a slip where they wrote who has been a friend to them this summer and how they have embodied the essence of a friend. As the students wrote their slips they were read the classic picture book "The Rainbow Fish." The thoughts of kindness swam through the PCCers' heads as they moved on to their next event. The group got with their floor to create hands with five ways to be a friend for a poster for the semi-formal dance in Week 6. It gave students a chance to reflect on what makes a good friend to them and how they can be an even better friend. When everyone gathered back to their seats, some students gave a shout out to their friends and what that person has done to show true friendship. Theme night ended with Ms. Martino leading a game of "Rainstorm" where everyone copied the actions of the leader. It showed that when we work together we can achieve great things. Theme night was an eye-opener that a kind person can brighten up someone's day.