Kindness for Back-to-School

MIRACLE MOMENT®

Choose to be kind over being right,

and you’ll be right every time.

~ Richard Carlson

A MESSAGE from Founder/Executive Director, CYNTHIA BRIAN

The break for summer vacation flew by and this week many students are on their way back to the classroom. It’s been a hot and tumultuous two months of weather and politics. Hopefully, you found ways and days to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy family and friends in peace.

Getting back into the groove of school schedules takes discipline and determination. While we are buying supplies, and clothes, or signing up for special classes, a critical ingredient to getting along and acclimating is to remember to be kind. Kindness is the gift we give to ourselves and others,

With so much divisiveness in our world today, teaching and modeling a sense of graciousness and inclusivity for our children will go a long way to helping them make friends and delight in learning.

It is easy to be kind. Smile, listen, pay attention, wave, connect, share, care, be fair, be grateful, be authentic, compliment. We all have the power of kindness within. Let that power shine.

Join us at the Pear and Wine Festival as well as the parade on Saturday, September 28th for our 25th anniversary celebration and kindness commemoration of our win as the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year!

Make this school year the most kind learning experience ever.

Sending kindness, gratitude, and success,

Cynthia Brian

Founder/Executive Director

Be the Star You Are!®

PO box 376

Moraga, California 94556

https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org

http://www.BTSYA.org

DONATE: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504

CELEBRATE OUR 25th ANNIVERSARY at the PEAR and WINE FESTIVAL

Be the Star You Are!® is the winner of the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year. BTSYA is celebrating 25 years of volunteer service to the world and Moraga is celebrating 50 years as a town. A parade, bandstand appearance, ribbon cutting, and party are planned. Ella is our 25th-anniversary chairwoman. Sharanya and Keerthi will co-chair our booth. We will have activities for kids including our popular Plant the Seeds of Literacy project, a reading circle, book giveaways, and book signings, plus more. It’s going to be a super-fun event, so we hope to see you there.

The parade starts at 10 am on School Street. Thank you to our sponsors, The Lamorinda Weekly, MB Jessee Painting, and StarStyle® Productions, LLC. Thousands of people enjoy the Festival with food, wine, music, crafts, pear pies, and activities for kids. The Festival begins at 11 am at The Moraga Commons Park, 1425 St Marys Rd,, CA 94556, The event is FREE and the festival is fabulous! Let’s party! https://www.bethestaryouare.org/events-1/2024-pear-and-wine-festival

WELCOME TO NEW TEEN RADIO REPORTERS

Over the summer, Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio brought three new reporters to the airwaves. We are proud to introduce them to you here. All three can be heard being interviewed by our accomplished teen host, Julia, on a fun episode about traveling.

Listen at Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/150918/traveling

Hasini Namala

Hasini is a high school student from the Bay Area. She is passionate about community service and uplifting those around her. To make this dream a reality, Hasini started a non-profit that aims to work with other non-profit organizations in India to make education, sports, and music more accessible to students in underserved communities. She derives this inspiration from her grandmother, who was a philanthropist. Hasini is passionate about music and sings in various Western and Indian genres. Besides being a vocalist, she plays an extremely unique Indian stringed instrument called the “Veena.” In her free time, Hasini enjoys spending time in nature, traveling, and watching Indian movies with her family on the weekends. She is passionate about advocating for teen mental health, as she has also had her fair share of struggles with mental health in the past. She aims to make a difference by destigmatizing mental health and raising awareness to help other teens navigate their struggles through positive, engaging discussions. Her segment is called Teen Talk, with topics ranging from pop culture to teen aspirations and mental health.

Armine Freeman

I am a rising Junior at Newton South High School in Newton, Massachusetts. Born in Geneva Switzerland, and starting my education in France, I moved to the U.S. and integrated into the U.S. education system and English language, having experienced as a result different cultural backgrounds. I am passionate about actively contributing in academic, civic, and sports settings. I am active in my local community and City civic governance, contributing where my input and perspectives can help improve and elevate the surroundings for others. I was elected Senator of NSHS by my peers, have acted for the past 3 years as an advisor to the Newton City Hall’s Youth Commission, and am President of EcoBioDiversity, a local society dedicated to re-establishing native species in our community. I love participating in competitive Public Speaking, sharing my passion for this by volunteering weekly to coach and mentor student participants at a local Middle School speech and debate team. I immerse myself in creative arts, being selected as a sponsored student artist in the Newton City street art “Shine” program, and earning a Scholastics Silver Key Award in 2024 for my short stories. I enjoy many sports, participating in multiple Junior Olympics 2022-204 for competitive fencing and playing tennis and lacrosse in my school teams. Academically, I enjoy classes connected to Business, Psychology, and Marketing and am interested in finding a career path that mixes all of these disciplines with my experiences and interests. Her segment is called Eco-Echoes and focuses on the environment, climate change, and global warming.

Diya Namboothiry

Diya is an incoming 9th grader in Brookfield, Wisconsin. She is involved in the chorus, loves playing volleyball, takes Indian classical lessons for dancing and singing, and enjoys taking drumming lessons. Diya loves to help others in whichever way she can, big or small. She is involved with NJHS in her school and continues to work with a local non-profit organization outside of school. Diya is also excited about exploring the art of suspense and has begun writing short, suspenseful stories recently. She has a great mindset toward learning and believes in spreading cheer around her. Her segment is called the Art of Suspense.

PRESIDENTIAL SERVICE AWARDS

We are proud to announce that Be the Star You Are!® 501c3 is a certified organization for ‘The President’s Volunteer Service Award‘. The President’s Volunteer Service Award is an opportunity to honor the most outstanding volunteers and recognize the impact they make in our world.

BTSYA is approved to recognize its volunteers who meet the requirements in terms of volunteer service hours and apply for the award.

In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.

The PVSA has continued under each administration, honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation.

Led by the AmeriCorps and managed in partnership with Points of Light, this program allows Certifying Organizations to recognize their most exceptional volunteers.

Detailed requirements can be found here: https://presidentialserviceawards.gov/eligibility#volunteers

KINDERGARTEN KINDNESS

by Karen Kitchel

Spending time as a volunteer in Kindergarten is a wonderful way to absorb the important things in life. One day I saw a very tearful little girl saying how much she was missing her Dad. It took about 30 seconds for another student to offer her a teddy bear, which she said was given to her when she was a baby. Amazing how the tears stopped, and I saw a perfect picture of kindness.

For six years, I’ve had the privilege of watching five-year-old kids learn how to read, write, and most important, be there for a friend in need.

When asked how they will be kind, kindergarteners’ responses included: Help Mom, Share my Football, and Help Others. I believe these kids understand the true meaning of scattering kindness.

Karen Kitchel is the Kindness Coordinator volunteer with BTSYA. She purchased the book, No Barnyard Bullies, as a gift for every kindergarten student where she is a volunteer teacher. www.scatteringkindness.com You can read more about Karen’s adoption story in the book Be the Star You Are! Millennials To Boomers. https://www.bethestaryouare.org/book-gift

FREE COOKING OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS

Cultured Kids Cuisine, inc.is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization led by a team of students and recent graduates. Their mission is to foster cultural awareness through food in youth across the globe with a specific focus on bringing our resources to underserved populations and children living in education deserts. Their food-related educational courses, podcasts, food blogs, recipe and lesson kits are 100% FREE for children ages 7 through 14. Virtual and in-person cooking workshops are held weekly, wherein children prepare foreign meals alongside their team of trained culinary experts and guest chefs, whilst learning about the culture, history, and the origins of the dish through interactive activities and engaging dialogue. Their programming is centered around cooking and celebrating knowledge with loved ones, creating beautiful meals to be shared together. You can find out more and participate by going to their website. https://www.culturedkidscuisine.com/