Students participate in World Down Syndrome Awareness Day

On Thursday, March 21, Peebles Elementary School in the North Allegheny School District participated in World Down Syndrome Awareness Day. To help raise awareness, students and staff rocked wild and colorful, mismatched socks to spark conversations about diversity, inclusion, and acceptance.

Leading up to the day, students and staff members performed random acts of kindness for one another to promote inclusion and diversity throughout the month of March. Individuals who were caught performing a random act of kindness for others were rewarded with a slip of paper to fill out and display on a large “kindness” banner, allowing both students and staff members to see the results of their work and to inspire one another. The school also promoted the theme of “leave no one behind” to encourage students to always be accepting and inclusive of others.

This initiative was paired with classroom lessons, assemblies, and a fundraiser for the Down Syndrome Association of Pittsburgh. Students and staff raised a total of $702 through one day of fundraising!