Sweethearts & Heroes returns to Moriah School to inspire students

PORT HENRY | Moriah Central School students were recently treated to two days of Sweethearts & Heroes, a nationally renowned team focused on building empathy, compassion and self-empowerment and lessening acts of bullying and its repercussions, specifically, suicide. They'd first visited the school in 2019. Tom Murphy, co-founder of the group, reflected on some of the ways the pandemic has affected school children. "What did students lose during 2020? Developmental windows were disrupted. That's why Sweethearts & Heroes is going to schools this year to focus on the human skills, such as empathy, compassion, and the other relationship skills that cause struggles for so many students. We like to say, 'You can't be a teacher of literacy without being a teacher of humanity first.' That's the focus that needs to happen for our children during this school year." On May 10, Sweethearts & Heroes presented its signature program. Its component themes, "Empathetic Fitness" and "HOPE" (Hold On, Possibilities Exist!), focus on preventing bullying and suicide. Murphy was joined by teammate Rick Yarosh, retired sergeant with the U.S. Army. Rick was injured while serving in Iraq in 2006 and suffered burns over most of his body. He works with the students by sharing his own experience as an example of HOPE and overcoming adversity. On May 11, Moriah students were introduced to the power of the Circle in building communication and empathy. Forming circles is an ancient ritual practiced in many cultures worldwide. Sweethearts & Heroes teammate Pat Fish led the Circle portion of the presentation. "Circle is about building a support network for students in all grades so that when they are struggling with social and emotional obstacles, they will have the resources necessary to manage those struggles," Murphy said. "If you dedicate to Circle, if you commit to Circle on a regular basis, an entire culture can change. We've seen it happen thousands of times." Moriah Central School District Superintendent Bill Larrow was so impressed by the changes he saw in his students, he decided to invite the team back after their initial visit back in 2019. "Tom Murphy and his colleagues offer an energetic and highly informative program designed to address key issues students are facing today. Through their message, we envision students learning how powerful compassion and positivity in one's self can be used to improve their life as well as those around them." To learn more about Sweethearts & Heroes, visit sweetheartsandheroes.com.

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Sweethearts & Heroes returns to Moriah School to inspire students

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