The entire seventh grade took part in an inspiring morning of activities for Book Day following their independent read of “Nothing but Trouble” by Jacqueline Davies. The day’s activities highlighted the values from the book of teamwork, building on your own strengths and pivoting when your initial master plans hit a snag. In connection, students spent the morning learning to recognize the complementary strengths they have within the middle school community to figuratively and literally build a smooth, functioning mechanism.

They heard from several speakers throughout the day, each of whom shared valuable lessons and perspectives gained through their journey of entrepreneurship, success and failures. Speakers ranged from the founders of an app that was recently sold to Snapchat, to a software developer and RKYHS’ own students who founded Deliver Together, a non-profit organization serving community needs during the pandemic.

Armed with this new knowledge, the students worked in teams to solve problems, write poetry, create art and build a working pulley and lever system, all the while using effective teamwork, positive communication, ingenuity and grit. The activities enabled the students to look at the novel from different angles and make personal connections to the themes of the book and the day. The day ended with reflections to extend their newfound appreciation for their personal strengths to positively impact the community at large.