By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
December 10, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – A hero doesn’t have to be someone on the big screen, wearing a cape and saving the world.

A hero can be someone in your backyard, who goes above and beyond the call of duty for their fellow man.

That’s the message Missie Condit, vice principal at Gladstone Elementary School, tries to instill upon her students with the Gladstone Hero project. Condit first started the hero project in 2002 at Primitivo Garcia Elementary School. The first project was about the school’s namesake, Primitivo Garcia. The following year, students studied civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, going so far as to make a quilt and sending it to his wife in California.

Condit then brought the project with her when she made the jump to Gladstone Elementary in 2010. She said there was nothing like that project at the school at the time. The first hero for Gladstone students was local businessman Ollie Gates, who still keeps in contact with the students four years later.

“I never thought, when we started it 12 years ago, that it would grow this much,” Condit said. “It’s a fabulous program because it teaches our students about the gift of giving back to the community and it highlights individuals who give back and make a difference in Kansas City.”

When Condit and Principal Dana Carter began brainstorming on whom to select this year, they primarily considered heroes who are living and would be able to visit the students. This year’s hero is Dr. R. Stephen Green, superintendent of the Kansas City Public Schools. Condit said they picked Green because they thought it was important to highlight everything he’s done to turn the school district around over the last couple years.

“His theme is about perseverance, grit, never giving up and believing in us [the schools and students],” Condit said.

Whenever Green talks about the changes the school district has gone through, he says, “we were once in demise and are now on the rise.” Condit said that message is something the fifth grade class has been talking a lot about. We were down, she said, but now they’re moving up and forward to full accreditation.

“He continues to fight for the cause and continually lets us know he appreciates our hard work,” Condit said. “The voice is different now. Since we’ve made provisional accreditation, we continue to ask what we can do at the school level to help with the rise.”

After the hero is selected, Condit said she and Carter then determine which teacher and class will take on the project. The project has to be integrated into regular classroom studies.

“We have to find teachers who will take the time to be creative with the lesson planning, ensuring they cover the skills they need to cover while studying their hero’s life, as well,” Condit said.

Early in November, after both selection processes were complete, Green paid a visit to the fifth grade class who will be studying him. Condit said the everyone from the students and teachers involved try to find out as much information as possible about their hero before they visit. Green said he’s flattered beyond words at the honor bestowed upon him by Gladstone Elementary. When he visited with the students, he said they made his week.

“I truly drew energy from the students and their excitement,” Green said. “I was equally impressed with the depth of their research on me and the quality of their questions. It feels awesome.”

Condit said the students will next visit Green on Friday, Dec. 12, during a trip to the Board of Education building, where they will see where he works, tour the facilities and eat lunch with him. Also this month, they will write a song to perform for Green during the hero celebration ceremony on March 13, 2015.

“He doesn’t get to hear it until the day of the event,” Condit said.

Condit said the students have always enjoyed performing and shooting the video for the song which is shown at the ceremony. She added that they’re still trying to find different places around Kansas City to shoot the video.

“It’s always all about him,” Condit said. “It’s a way to say thank you for taking care and supporting us. Often, they don’t even realize they’re heroes because they’re just doing their job, but he’s made a difference in a lot of kids’ lives. He’s still trying to wrap his head around this but we just remind him that it’s an honor.”

The project is dear to Condit’s heart. To her, it’s important to recognize individuals who have made an impact in their community, either locally or nationally. She believes these small gestures leaves a huge impression.

“It’s about making a difference, students recognizing individuals who’ve made an impact and us teaching the students to say thank you,” Condit said.