First-graders schedule acts of kindness in December

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Brandy Mutch’s first-grade class at Washington Elementary School has a to-do list, and they’re checking items off it, one day at a time.

Day 1: Decorate the school’s office with holiday streamers and ornaments, to brighten the day for “office ladies” Donna Lynch and Julie Miller.

Day 2: Make thank-you cards, to be presented to cops and deputies at the Charles City Police Department and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department. The cards had outlines of each student’s hands on the front, representing a high-five to all law enforcement, for working hard to keep the community safe.

Day 3: Write a thank-you note to the “lunchroom ladies.”

Day 4: Leave some tasty treats for the school custodians.

Check the calendar. It’s all on there. It’s a “kindness countdown to Christmastime.”

The students said that last week, during their morning meetings — which are held each day on a rug on the floor — they brainstormed and talked about ways they could show kindness in the classroom, in the school, at home and in the community.

The result of the meetings was a December Kindness Calendar, and the class is hoping every student in every grade will participate.

Mutch explained that each grade is responsible for an assembly for the whole school each month.

“We chose the theme of kindness,” she said. “The kids learned a poem about kindness that they shared at the assembly, and they sang a song. Now, each day we’re encouraging each classroom to try to do something to spread kindness, not only in our classrooms, but in our school and out to our community.”

There are a total of 15 Days of Kindness on the list, and a few of the other good deeds include “picking up any trash found outside the school, telling the counselors how helpful they are, thinking of a way to help your parents at home and sharing a smile with someone you usually don’t.”

“A lot of the ideas came from the students at our morning meetings,” Mutch said.

All the students agreed that they hoped the acts of kindness would catch on, and everyone in town would take some time to be kind each day.