Mission Mustang Brings Kindness and Belonging to Tom McCall Elementary and the Redmond Community

At Tom McCall Elementary, belonging is more than a schoolwide focus. It's a mission.

Through Mission Mustang, students across grade levels take on projects designed to spread kindness, joy, happiness and positivity throughout their school and the Redmond community. Each grade level gets a five- to six-week period to develop and carry out its own mission.

The idea grew out of the school's PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) team, which wanted to find meaningful ways for students to help others feel included and valued.

This year, fifth graders took their mission beyond the school grounds by creating kindness rocks with positive messages and hiding them throughout the community for others to find.

Messages like "You are loved" offer a simple reminder that even a small gesture can brighten someone's day. Students say one of the best parts is returning to the spots where they left their rocks and seeing if someone has found them.

Mission Mustang looks different for every grade level. Some classes work with buddy classrooms on projects, others create positive posters to display around the school, and some make it a mission to greet everyone they pass in the hallways.

No matter the project, the goal remains the same: helping others feel like they belong.

As students are discovering, making a difference doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes, it starts with a simple act of kindness and a reminder that someone cares.