A group of parents is working to make members of the school community recognize and become more appreciative of their privileges. The Gratitude Journal, located in the Pritzker Traubert Family Library, encourages students, faculty and administrative members to write in a thankful note or a memory of someone being kind.

The journal is one of several appreciation endeavors that make up the Gratitude Project, created and run by parents Corinne Bal and Mike Allen in an attempt to foster appreciation and positivity throughout the school. 

“We’re so blessed and fortunate, yet sometimes our awareness level of what’s good is low,” Mr. Allen said. “We tend to become better employed students, citizens of the world, for noticing kindness. That’s called a soft skill, which means emotional intelligence, and…shouldn’t be overlooked.”

Ms. Bal and Mr. Allen plan to create similar activities that are bigger and more interactive, and they hope students will eventually attempt these types of projects on their own, which will, as Bal said, “help students and the community in general to find a sense of purpose and to be happy.”