Streams students celebrate kindness
Streams Elementary School celebrated World Kindness Day on Nov. 13. Students were encouraged to wear their Streams Where Will Kindness Take You shirts, or any shirt with a positive message, hearts, red/pink, or even just something that was warm and fuzzy. “World Kindness Day reminds us that kindness is important and valued all around the world and that we are all part of the same world,” Leslie Smirniw, school counselor and event organizer, said. “We may live in different places, look different, speak different languages or have different beliefs, but we are all human. We all want, and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.” Students wrote kind messages, examples of kindness, or how kindness makes people feel on sticky notes and attached them to large paper hearts that hang throughout the school, embracing the message that kindness is important. Kindergarteners along with first- and second-graders drew pictures to show how they are kind at home and at school. Third- and fourth-graders participated in a kindness write-around activity to share kind messages with their classmates. “Any reason to boost students’ attention to the everyday importance of kindness is something to promote!” Principal Claire Miller said. “The simplest form of kindness includes everyday manners – greeting a friend (or principal) when you see them, holding a door open for a friend, helping someone pick up a dropped item, being mindful to clean up your trash in the lunch room, or using my personal favorites – ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ I call these Life’s Lubricants – using manners is a great life habit to cultivate with our students (and the adults)!”