“WHEW!  I need to take a deep breath, Mrs. Van!  All this jump-roping is really working my heart today!”  These were the repetitive words of several Miller friends this afternoon right after our annual Jump Rope for Heart kick-off assembly.  Our theme, Heart Rock Cafe, pumped up the school as several groups shared their many talents:

The HotSteppers show off their impressive jump-roping skills in a variety of clever ways!

Coach Rogers led several teachers to rock the house with their rendition of “I Love Jumping Rope.”

StuCo members shared a moving story about Rachel and her legacy before rocking to a special rendition of “We Will Rock You” with the words of “Rachel’s Challenge.”

Yes, it was an impressive assembly of meaningful and powerful messages to us all.  We must accept the challenges of working on healthier hearts (for our physical side) and on healthier interactions with others (our emotional side) in order to achieve our goals in life.  As we talked about today, it’s up to us to continue the chain reaction of kindness and compassion for ourselves and others.  As I shared, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”  Here’s hoping we all walk and talk a little lighter knowing the next generation is committed to living healthier, kinder, and more compassionate lives.  Have a great weekend!  🙂

Note:  Don’t forget about the annual Tutus and Ties Dance tomorrow starting @ 7:00 p.m. in the Miller Cafe!