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Bryan Skavnak, author of “Be Nice. The End” and founder of “Be the Nice Kid” visited LaFayette Intermediate School this week as part of anti-bullying month.

Skavnak, the self-described “happiest golf professional in Minnesota,” shared his message of kindness and empathy throughout the day.

Skavnak started the day with an assembly to start the day right and spoke to several groups throughout the day. He also had lunch with students.

Skavnak, “who was good at being nice,” encouraged students to reach out and be kind to others. He concluded each assembly with a “Be the … Nice Kid” chant and exchanging high fives with students.

“It was great to have Bryan come and visit us at LaFayette,” LaFayette Principal Molly Lahr. “His kindness and positivity were contagious and his message of making a conscious decision to ‘be the nice kid’ was beneficial to all of our students and staff.”

LaFayette Intermediate School conducted its annual Memorial Day Assembly on Thursday, May 30.

Heather Schuessler, a math interventionist at LaFayette who served in the U.S. Army Reserves, delivered a Memorial Day speech. Mrs. Schuessler told students that Waterloo is the birthplace of Memorial Day and explained the history and meaning of the occasion.

The ceremony also included a Roll Call, where fifth-grade students read the names of service members from the Waterloo area who lost their lives while serving in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq.

Mrs. Schuessler also shared the meaning of the poppy, LaFayette Principal Molly Lahr placed a wreath of remembrance at the flag pole and Honesty Byrd read “In Flanders Fields.”

Members of the Fifth Grade Band played patriotic music and music teacher Lauren Rubino led students in the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the national anthem. Ninth grade students Mason O’Connell and Caleb Laquitara, who are members of the Civil Air Patrol, raised the flag to full mast.

Serenity Johnson, Emma Cheney, Evan Crelley, Braelyn Lamphear and Brielle Robinson served as readers, the bell ringer was Kelsey Bailey and Abraham Bates, Leah Sessler, Griffin Arndt, Aaron Hoff, Andrew Quay and Emily DeWaele distributed and collected flags.

Visitors included members of the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, American Legion Riders, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and interim Superintendent Robert Banzer.