A mixed martial arts professional and a retired Army sergeant severely injured in Iraq recently presented a message of hope, empathy, compassion and action at Liberty Middle School.

Sweethearts & Heroes Director and Co-Founder Tom Murphy and Rick Yarosh, a Purple Heart recipient and motivational speaker, used role playing, facts, small-group exercises and real-life experiences to help teach students they can be heroes by helping stop bullying and offering hope.

“Many communities in this region grapple with socioeconomic hardships, further complicating the educational landscape,” Murphy said. “The struggles these students endure are heartbreaking, yet Liberty Middle School has paved the way for resilience and success.”

Sweethearts and Heroes’ message and approach aligns with the LMS Comprehensive Education Plan and the District Comprehensive Improvement Plan, said Behavioral Specialist Sheila Wormuth, who brought the program to LMS.

“Their unique approach focuses on actionable steps, rather than just awareness, making a real impact,” she said.

For more than 16 years, Sweethearts & Heroes has presented what Murphy calls “the ‘stop, drop and roll’ of bullying” to more than 2.5 million students across the Northeast and Canada.

The target for the lessons isn’t the bullies or their targets, he said, but those who see it happening and can step in and help.

Over two days, Murphy and Yarosh presented two assemblies—tailored to fifth and sixth grade students in the first and seventh and eighth in the second—visited classes and led small group activities, called circles.

“It was real, it was honest, it was relatable and it will help me see ways to be a better person in school,” seventh-grader Greyson Torres said.

While the message was primarily geared toward students, it also heavily involved staff, who were directly addressed in the presentation and participated in the circles, Wormuth said.

“These were two of the most positive and productive days toward our SEL (social emotional learning) effort,” sixth-grade teacher Justin Golden said.

That is something Murphy said is needed.

“While their environment may not be perfect, in just two days, we witnessed not only students thriving but also a dedicated staff that genuinely loves and cares for the children in their community,” Murphy said. “Bravo, Liberty—bravo!”

A recording of the assemblies can be found at https://events.locallive.tv/events/172824 

Liberty Middle School students are learning about other cultures and interacting with students from around the world without leaving their classroom.

Since 2022, the school has partnered with Level Up Village, which connects schools around the world with the goal of promoting cross-cultural understanding, tying into Liberty’s strategic plan goal of fostering inclusivity, global citizenship and communication.

“By connecting students with peers worldwide, the program promotes global citizenship, cultural understanding and respect for diversity,” said Liberty Middle School Media Specialist Jill Parks. “It also enhances communication and collaboration skills, reinforcing the district’s goal of clear and consistent engagement with staff, families, and the broader community.”

This is the school’s sixth session with Level Up Village, with previous students working with peers in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Ukraine.

Parks’ sixth-graders are currently connecting with students in Bogata, Columbia, exploring three key topics: education, leadership and community. They are using the book “I am Malala,” the autobiography of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani education activist who championed girls’ education.

Working in small groups, students explore Malala’s life and create digital presentations on the key topics. After completing their presentations, students record videos discussing their topic, what they learned, and how they represented it in their work. The videos are uploaded to the LUV platform, where students from the partner school watch them and create response videos. In their responses, they compare and contrast the topic’s significance in their respective countries.

The interaction is something the students are enjoying.

“What I’ve learned so far is how much they really enjoy learning about us,” Sophie Toledo said. “Before we started, I assumed that we would just answer questions back and forth, but now I realize how much they enjoy learning about our culture and how much excitement they put into these videos for us.”

For many LMS students, the chance to interact with their peers in Colombia has helped them learn more about the world around them.

“It helps me learn what it’s like in different countries and helps me see how different and alike we are from kids in different countries,” Gregory Dasraj said.

That wider view of the world has piqued students’ curiosity, something that has stuck with some long after the 10-week program was over.

“It makes me wonder what their story is when I see someone now,” said seventh-grader Lilly Kehrley, who participated in the Level Up Village program last year.

Lessons in the leadership qualities of cooperation and compromise are also important.

“I learned that working together helps stop arguments and issues,” current Level Up Village student Aaliyssa Lynn Rodriguez said. “Working together is better than one person doing all the work.”

The program is proving to be an experience that helps equip students with the skills, empathy and perspective needed to contribute and thrive in a diverse community and an interconnected world.

Students in Ms. Adrienne Davis’ seventh and eighth grade science classes recently learned that with the proper motivation, dedication and determination, they can ‘fly.’

Since the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, Ms. Davis has offered Reward Bucks for students who display aspects of the eight Leader in Me habits, such as arriving to class on time, being kind to one another, completing projects and giving 100% effort. The Reward Bucks can be turned in for a variety of items, including healthy snacks, homework passes, school supplies and fidget toys, all of which are provided by Ms. Davis.

Reward Bucks activities also prompt students to be more engaged in the classroom and with their peers.

“I would answer more questions. I was stepping up more, I was helping other people in the class,” seventh-grader Faith Boyles said, a sentiment other students echoed.

But Ms. Davis also wanted to create a classwide reward that taught her students how to work as a team to accomplish a goal as well as learning about earning and budgeting for something on a bigger scale.

That is when she incorporated the iFLY program-an immersive, hands-on STEM experience in Paramus, New Jersey, where students would have the opportunity to “fly” in a wind tunnel.

After receiving approval for the field trip, members of Ms. Davis’ class began saving their Reward Bucks in mid-December to earn the opportunity to attend. Students earned an average of four Reward Bucks each day, and to qualify for the iFLY field trip, each student needed to save $100 Reward Bucks before the trip at the end of February. They could still spend them on other items, but they had to make sure to have enough to attend.

Ready to fly

Ten students ultimately qualified and attended the field trip to iFLY on Feb. 28.

Program educators guided students through an interactive presentation on real-world STEM applications, where they were able to learn more about careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

They also learned how scientists use wind tunnels to test cars and airplanes and how their designs have changed over the years, eighth-grader Kendry Cordero-Lima said.

Students said they enjoyed seeing physics in action through demonstrations in the vertical wind tunnel. Various objects, including balls and stuffed animals, were placed in the tunnel, and students were asked to predict what effect the wind would have on each object.

As a lab activity, students were asked to design a parachute to fit certain parameters, as well as measure and record data and interpret the results.

“The best part was they were talking to us about the science behind it all and how gravity works,” seventh-grader Kameren Samuel said.

The students put that knowledge into action and were able to “fly” in the wind tunnel with a certified instructor. As students entered the wind tunnel one at a time, the instructor showed them how to position themselves in the tunnel so that it changed the way they flew.

Many of the students said they were nervous about flying.

“The wind tunnel was scary. It was really loud. I felt like I was going to fall through,” seventh-grader Aleigha Travis said. “But I faced my fears, and I had a lot of fun.”

Because it was a small group, many students were able to take multiple turns in the wind tunnel.

“I was so scared to fly, but with the support of the instructor, my classmates and teachers, I did it,” eighth-grader Zaniah Hernandez said, “and I even went three times.”

The lessons went far beyond science, though.

“What was so remarkable to witness was the students overcoming their fears and building self-confidence,” Ms. Davis said. “It was an opportunity many of my students may not have ever been able to have experienced without the support of the school. So many people came together to make this happen, especially Ms. Cheh and Mrs. Degraw, and I cannot thank them enough!”