On Wednesday, October 21, students at Woodhaven Upper Elementary celebrated Unity Day with a special Mix It Up Lunch, bringing students together to build connections, spread kindness and celebrate inclusion.
Unity Day is a national initiative that encourages people to stand together against bullying and promote kindness, acceptance and belonging. At WUE, the celebration offered a fun way to put those values into action by inviting students to step outside their usual social circles and sit with new peers during lunch.
With students coming together from five different elementary schools, Mix It Up Lunch was a great opportunity to mix up lunch tables, make new friends and share as many smiles — and pieces of candy — as possible!
Each student received a piece of candy and was matched to a corresponding lunch table, encouraging them to sit with different classmates and get to know one another. Conversation questions placed on the tables gave students fun prompts to ask and answer, helping break the ice and spark new connections. Music played throughout the cafeteria, and students had the chance to win prizes as they celebrated together. By the final lunch period of the day, the excitement was in full swing, with students even dancing in the cafeteria!
The event was made possible with support from the WUE PTO, which generously donated the candy, and the school's cafeteria staff. Teachers and staff members also joined students in the cafeteria to show their support and help make the day special.
Betsy Kanagawa, Woodhaven Upper Elementary school counselor, said the goal is to carry the message of unity beyond a single day through classroom lessons and the school's ongoing lunch groups.
“We want Unity to be something we do, not something we talk about. This is one small step we can take today,” Kanagawa said.
Through activities like Mix It Up Lunch, WUE hopes to continue building a school community where students feel welcomed, included and connected — not just on Unity Day, but throughout the entire school year.