Gainfield Elementary School 5^th Grade Students Spread Random Acts of Kindness

At Gainfield Elementary School (GES), 5^th grade students recently participated in “World Kindness Week”, by spreading random acts of kindness at school, home and throughout their community.

“World Kindness Week” is sponsored by The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.  Since it was established in 1995, the foundation has been inspiring people to practice kindness and “pass it on” to others.

According to the foundation, as people tap into their own generous human spirit and share kindness with one another, they discover for themselves the power of kindness to effect positive change. Through their website at www.actsofkindness.org, the foundation provides free educational and community ideas, guidance, and other resources to kindness participants.

Under the supervision of GES guidance counselor, Laura Boccialetti, 5^th graders participated in a variety of activities such as making Thanksgiving cards for residents of local convalescent homes along with videotapes of students singing holiday songs. 

“There is amazing potential for our students to do wonderful things for other people in their community, peer group, and family and "World Kindness Week" gives them the perfect opportunity to do so,” said Ms. Boccialetti.  “I challenged them to really "think outside of the box" to do something for someone without it being expected while keeping in mind that it should come from the heart!”

According to Ms. Boccialetti, the fifth grade's participation in "World Kindness Week" also promotes The Gainfield Philosophy which states, "We want them (students) to understand the world they live in and the importance of citizenship and sound character”. 

“One of the best ways for our students to fully understand this is through the gift of kindness,” she said.

Throughout the week, kindness joined the 5^th grade class together, with a paper chain of links that symbolized a random act of kindness performed by each student.  Printed on the chains were very simple acts that go a long way such as:  I made breakfast in bed for my parents; I played with someone who had no one to play with at recess; I helped an elderly lady carry her groceries to the car when I was with my mom; I got a tissue for someone in my class when he was upset. 

This was the first year GES 5^th graders participated in the project and Ms. Boccialetti hopes to make it a school wide initiative in years to come.

“It made me feel good to do nice things for people,” said 5^th grader, Lorenzo M. “But we have to remember to keep it up even when it’s not “World Kindness Week” to let people know you are there for them all the time.”