Eliot Elementary School students celebrated International Dot Day on Sept. 15 with music, creativity and a schoolwide gathering designed around one simple idea: every student has the ability to make a mark.
International Dot Day is inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ children’s book The Dot, the story of a student who believes she can’t draw until a teacher encourages her to begin with a single dot. That small act helps her discover confidence in her own creativity. The annual celebration, first started by an educator in 2009, has grown into a worldwide event centered on creativity, courage and collaboration.
At Eliot Elementary, students began the day with an assembly led by Michele Ma, of the school’s enrichment team, where the school came together to sing “The Dot Song,” a song created in collaboration with Reynolds and inspired by the book and International Dot Day.
“For us, Dot Day is about helping students understand that they do not have to have everything figured out before they begin,” Ma said. “Sometimes it starts with one idea, one attempt or one mark. We want our students to have the confidence to try, be creative and see where their ideas can take them.”
Following the assembly, the entire Eliot Elementary student body headed outside and formed one large dot together on the baseball field. A drone photographed the formation from above, turning hundreds of individual students into a single schoolwide image.
While Reynolds’ story begins with an individual student finding the courage to create, International Dot Day also emphasizes what can happen when people create and collaborate together.
Students continued celebrating throughout the day with additional dot-themed activities in their classrooms.
International Dot Day is officially recognized on Sept. 15, though schools and organizations around the world often celebrate throughout September. Participants are encouraged to create, experiment and share their own “mark” with others.
For Principal Ann Shisler, the schoolwide celebration provided students with both an individual message and a collective experience.
“The message behind Dot Day is one we want our students to carry with them beyond this celebration,” Shisler said. “We want them to be willing to try something new, trust their own ideas and understand that what they contribute matters. Seeing every student come together to create our schoolwide dot was a wonderful way to make that message visible.”