Photo: Courtesy of Kyle Prudhomme/ Worcester Public Schools
WORCESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Vernon Hill Elementary School in Worcester converted its gymnasium into a barber shop Monday so students could receive free haircuts, manicures and braiding ahead of MCAS testing.
Michelangelo's Barbershop and Nails provided the services as part of a "confidence-building" initiative, according to a press release from Worcester Public Schools.
“Feeling good leads to doing good,” Vernon Hill Principal Craig Dottin said. “When we cultivate positive emotions within ourselves, we naturally extend that positivity to others through our actions and interactions. When we feel good about ourselves that positive energy is placed in everything we do.”
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The makeshift salon included barber chairs, magazines and a waiting area.
Students in grades five and six received the services.
“It was good to allow them to tap into resources that we didn’t have at that age and it felt good on our end to see the smiles of those kids and seeing their self-esteem and confidence after,” Michelangelo's owner Michael Angelo said.
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