Pat Fish of Sweethearts & Heroes. Courtesy photo.
Vermont Business Magazine An amazing superhero without a cape will be in Sheldon to show students and educators how they can spread HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist) in their classrooms — and beyond.
Pat Fish, of Sweethearts & Heroes, will work at Sheldon Elementary School on Thursday, Jan. 18 and Friday, Jan. 19. Champlain Chevrolet, of Enosburg Falls, is sponsoring these events.
Sweethearts and Heroes is a student empowerment and empathy activation team that aims to prevent bullying and suicide with a focus on the basic components of social-emotional learning (SEL).
Sweethearts & Heroes offers a profound, engaging signature presentation that calls for HOPE, Empathy and Action; Circle, which is built on the ancient ritual of communicating in a circle to build empathy; and BRAVE Buddies, which trains older students in bully drills that they, in turn, teach to students in lower grades.
The Sweethearts & Heroes team is: Tom Murphy, Director and Founder, of St. Albans, Vt.; Ret. U.S. Army Sgt. Rick Yarosh, a HOPE expert and motivational speaker from New York who was burned severely while serving in Iraq; and Pat Fish, BRAVE and Circle Leader, who first saw Sweethearts & Heroes when he was a student in South Glens Falls, N.Y.
While in Sheldon, Fish will focus on Circles with students and educators (For more on Circle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q286yIL9L1E)
Circle is one of the oldest human connection practices in history, stretching back more than 400,000 years. By definition, a Circle is a secure space created to invite the sharing of stories, perspectives and emotions. It is designed so that everyone can see and hear each other. It also requires mutual consensus to listen and, often in sequence, respond to a central question. The Circle format has no beginning and no end, and no one is in a position of prominence, which serves to encourage individuals to speak honestly about their feelings and beliefs.
“Circle is an opportunity for amazing stories to be shared and heard,” Fish said. “Amazing isn’t good or bad. Some amazing stories I’ve heard are heartbreaking, others are heartwarming, and others are hilarious. But every single one of us has an amazing story, because we all have unique experiences. Circle allows everyone the chance to share those stories and, more importantly, to practice listening so that we can learn from others’ amazing stories. Also, there are various social-emotional skills practiced in Circle. What sets us apart? We make it fun! Everywhere we go, there’s a thirst for Circle from students of all ages, social groups, and backgrounds. They want to connect further with the people around them. Circle is a vehicle for that.”
Champlain Chevrolet also sponsored work by Yarosh and Murphy at Enosburg Falls Middle & High School last February. Sweethearts & Heroes also held a training last August at Enosburg Falls Middle & High School.
“Champlain Chevrolet is proud and honored to be part of such a powerful moment in our community,” said Brian Bonk, of Champlain Chevrolet. “The staff, parents and especially the students are so lucky to experience what Tom, Rick and Pat have for tools to battle the pressures of suicide. Now more than ever, students need a positive and solid path when all else seems so out of touch. When you hear of Sweethearts & Heroes, welcome them everywhere you can. Listen and learn.”
Several Sheldon Elementary School staff members attended a Sweethearts & Heroes training last July in Burlington. They began to implement Circles with staff during the school’s inservice time in late August, and Circles also became part of the classroom routine for many educators and students when the current school year began.
“The impact was immediate,” said Ethan Dezotelle, a 3rd grade teacher and one of the Sheldon staff that attended the Circle training. “Circle work created an atmosphere that allowed us to build a stronger sense of community between colleagues, and it has been a huge help with supporting student needs and behaviors. Classrooms that utilize Circles have students that are more engaged and focused, and students are eager to participate. Circles have been a big game-changer for us.”
Murphy said, “We’re cultivating compassion and empathy in schools again this year, and we’re glad that our friends in the Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union invited us back. We aim to stop students from making destructive decisions and help them treat each other with kindness. We also make our messages sustainable in schools, so that they also have an eventual and sustainable impact on local communities. The spider web effect is powerful.”
To ensure such sustainability, Sweethearts & Heroes created The HOPE Classroom, a digital subscription service designed for various grade levels and different school sizes. This value-packed offering can allow Sweethearts & Heroes to be in every school in the U.S. For more information visit https://thehopeclassroom.com/.
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 in school districts from New England to Hawaii and north into Canada. Sweethearts & Heroes also tailors its presentations and workshops for businesses, non-profits and civic groups. Murphy said, “We go where we’re needed. That’s what heroes do.”
In 2021, Sweethearts & Heroes released 13 Pillows For Affective Teachers, a novel that covers the themes of HOPE, Empathy and Action in the Sweethearts & Heroes curriculum. 13 Pillows is based on real students and teachers that Sweethearts & Heroes has encountered. Murphy cowrote the book with Brian McKeon, of New York. 13 Pillows is available on Amazon. Digital or printed copies are available upon request. The audiobook is on Audible. (On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/13Pillows)
For more information on Sweethearts & Heroes, visit: sweetheartsandheroes.com.
Or watch these short, impactful trailers:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetheartsandheroes/
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChmbRNNgpGWkMRIUxSS-bGg
