For students in the Garden Grove Unified School District, kindness came to life last month through a day of peace.
Becoming “heroes for peace,” students from Carrillo Elementary School in Westminster participated in a celebration commemorating the annual International Day of Peace on Sept. 21. Readings, poems, musical performances, a flag relay and other activities marked the event, which was first brought to Carrillo by teacher Paul Portner 30 years ago.
“The Peace Day event has really inspired a culture of kindness in our classrooms and on our campus because it paints a real picture of what peace looks like for our students,” Cabrillo Principal Kim Kroyer said. “Students are eager to complete peace tasks and show their kindness to others.”
School officials say the Peace Task Machine was among the day’s highlights. This machine — a gumball machine to be exact — dispensed small beads with stickers inside, each asking a student to complete a simple task. The task was either a good deed or an act of kindness to help make the world a happier place. Carrillo students recorded these acts and signed their names to signify their commitment to peace and kindness.
This year’s event even raised funds for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and the Save the Children foundation.
We are currently sitting at 448,267 acts of kindness. Keep it up, and let’s take a look at more kind acts that you’ve shared with us:
I decided to write a handwritten encouragement note to every staff member — approximately 72 total — in our district office.
I was on vacation and a woman was searching through her purse for some change. She was trying to buy her daughter a hot chocolate, but she was short by 65 cents. I gave her a dollar so she could finish her purchase.
I was eating at the airport in Seattle and a gentleman across from me was looking for a napkin, so I handed him a couple and the smile I received back was priceless.
I just had a student ask to come in my office only to say “hi” and ask me if I was having a good day!
I found information for someone that benefitted them in their ability to train others in a positive and encouraging way.
A man guided me into a space next to the gas pump so my car’s gas tank would be close enough for the nozzle to easily reach my car.
We’re featuring stories here as part of the One Billion Acts of Kindness initiative, so be sure to share yours at kindness1billion.org. You can also log kind acts by using the hashtag #kindness1billion on social media.