Our ever-growing kindness project incorporates our writing
skills in addition to art skills. The class worked on poems for Rosh Hashanah
cards. An amazing accomplishment of teamwork was invoked as we worked to
assemble over 90 cards. Our class took a
field trip to personally deliver the cards to residents of the River Garden
Senior Citizens home. As the group of
students moved from room to room visiting, they were able to personally see the
smiles they created.
We have recently made get well cards to help cheer up people
who are not feeling well. Sometimes these are people we know, and at times they are just someone that the
class is told could use some bright art work to brighten their day.
We will be busy making cards for our many upcoming holidays.
I would like the next writing to be from the students, so I am hoping to leave
the details to them.
Our acts of kindness project has grown slowly as we made Rosh Hashonnah cards for friends and senior citizens. Our class took a field trip to deliver the cards and were able to experience and share the smiles they brought to the many people they visited there. In the course of our day students have the opportunity to make get well
Our ever-growing kindness project incorporates our writing
skills in addition to art skills. The class worked on poems for Rosh Hashanah
cards. An amazing accomplishment of teamwork was invoked as we worked to
assemble over 90 cards.Our class took a
field trip to personally deliver the cards to residents of the River Garden
Senior Citizens home.As the group of
students moved from room to room visiting, they were able to personally see the
smiles they created.
We have recently made get well cards to help cheer up people
who are not feeling well. Sometimes these are people we know,and at times they are just someone that the
class is told could use some bright art work to brighten their day.
We will be busy making cards for our many upcoming holidays.
I would like the next writing to be from the students, so I am hoping to leave
the details to them.
cards when they finish their work for anyone on our get well list.
Some acts of kindness are large and noticed by all. There are many acts of seemingly smaller kindnesses which are just as important and although they are transparent to some, they may mean the world to the lives that we touch. This is where we began our project. We spend time learning about the importance of kind words. We told stories about times when we were the recipient of kind words and of those times we were less fortunate and recieved words that were unkind. We spoke about times when words changed our day for the better or the worse.
Throughout the year, I have challenged my students to write in their "Acts of Kindness Journals" about these experiences, about times when we did something kind and the kindnesses that were shown to us by others.
The students in Mrs. Kulish's Second and Third grade class started working on their "Random Acts of Kindness" project at the beginning of our school year. Below are some of the quotes and poetry we shared as we started our project. I hope to share some of our experiences and some of my students journal comments as they allow me.
The best portion
of a good man's life - his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and
love. ~William Wordsworth
You cannot do a
kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. ~Ralph
Waldo Emerson
Drop a Pebble in the Water
Drop a
pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.
Drop a
pebble in the water: in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.
Drop an
unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.
Drop an
unkind word, or careless: in a minute you forget;
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life was happy ere you dropped that unkind word.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.
Drop a
word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you forget;
But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy a'circling yet,
And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.
