Students in the Peer Assistance Leadership program at Roosevelt Elementary School in Anaheim recently took it upon themselves to pen notes of kindness — for the entire student body.
That’s 582 individual notes, each featuring a caring, inspiring or motivational message, delivered to every single child on campus, from transitional kindergarten through grade six.
Roosevelt teacher Christina Murphy tells us 50 kids worked on the project, meeting once a week at lunch over a span of three weeks. The group included PAL students in grades five and six, as well as Junior PAL students in grades three and four.
“They are an amazing group of kids,” she said.
Administered through OCDE, PAL programs promote community service and leadership skills built around the concept of students helping students. Murphy said the idea for this project actually came from Villa Park High School, where English teacher Connie Deuning started a kindness club and launched a similar campaign.
“Mrs. Deuning shared with me the project via social media,” she said, “and I thought it would be perfect for our PAL group — especially given the fact that we are in Anaheim and our city is part of a huge kindness campaign.”
Roosevelt’s notes — they included messages such as “Have an awesome day,” “You are a hero” and “Roosevelt is better because of you” — were sorted by class, and PAL students began distributing them on March 22, according to PAL co-advisor Noelle Allebest. They’ve also been logged as kind acts at kindness1billion.org.
Meanwhile, there’s more kindness in the works.
“We plan to do staff notes later this year, in May, to coincide with Teacher Appreciation Week,” Murphy said.
Major kindness kudos to Roosevelt. And here are some of the other acts of kindness you’ve submitted through the kindness1billion.org website:
“Our church provided large zip lock bags full of bars, toiletries, socks, etc that could be given out to those in need. I kept mine in my car and as I saw a person who was homeless I gave him and/or her a bag.”
“I noticed an 18-wheel semi-truck struggling to change lanes and I gave it the needed room to safely move over.”
“Every morning I drive pass a homeless man who sleeps on a bus stop bench. I purchased a new bag of socks for him and dropped them off one morning. Not much, but I felt he needed clean, warm, dry socks.”
“Las Flores Elementary students made 125 joke paper chains for a boy who was recovering from surgery.”
“Las Flores Elementary students made 872 Valentine’s and decorated each middle school lockers with them.”
“In a one week period (March 1 – March 7, 2017), there were 75 clothing item donations from various staff who work throughout the Orange County Department of Education. These items will be donated to Working Wardrobes and Orangewood Foundation. We will continue to collect items to be donated throughout the rest of 2017.”
“Teachers at Mann Elementary welcomed their students yesterday with huge signs that had positive words of encouragement for the students.”
“Helped a friend who was hurt on the playground”
“I gave my friend a copy of a thinking map when he needed one.”
“I was comforting my classmate and I also helped my friend stand up when he fell.”
“I helped a friend spell words to help his grammar. I also helped pick up a little kid who is in 1st grade.”
“I was helping the teacher pass things out.”
“I was helping the teacher when we were lining up for lunch and held the door for her and everybody else.”
“I hosted two student bands at my conference to help them travel and learn in Italy this year.”
“I made (a total of 876) blankets that become part of a bag with other stuff in it for cancer patients. The charitable organization is YANA (You are not alone). I did this on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Mariner’s Church.”