Kindness is a concept that is well understood by the fourth, fifth and sixth graders at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School. They know how important it is to display kindness toward others and they are doing their best to show it every day around the building.
“Based on input from our student council and ‘house’ system representatives, our students have been challenged to perform one act of kindness each day,” Principal Donna Moro explained. “We provided a list to help families and students identify things they could be doing. I introduced the program to parents through the Blackboard Connect system.”
Parents were asked to “check-in” with their children and encourage their participation in it. “We linked Spirit Week to our kindness initiative and have provided ‘house’ points to all those that participate. The response has been overwhelming.”
Classes have decorated hallways with kind words and at the school-wide ‘house’ meeting, “shout out” awards were presented to students that have been recognized for acts of kindness. Peer support for the initiative has been contagious.
“Students are working hard to be recognized at the next meeting,” Ms. Moro said.
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students probably have never heard of famed Henry James, who passed away in 1916. James wrote: Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”
While the fourth, fifth and sixth graders might not be familiar with Mr. James, they are becoming very well-acquainted with his opinion on the value and necessity of kindness. It’s a concept that they have been embracing tighter and tighter as the school year moves along.