Memorial Park Elementary School Principal Janice Sheehan is pleased to announce that Memorial Park’s grade 4 student leaders were successful in securing the first ever Town of Rockland Kindness Day. While National Kindness Day is scheduled for February 17, the students suggested that Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 would be an ideal day for Rockland’s residents to be kind to one another.
Principal Sheehan and several student leaders presented the students’ proposal at the Jan. 21 Board of Selectmen’s Meeting. This is an outgrowth of last year’s Kindness Initiative that Memorial Park students undertook. She said that the fourth grade leaders this year have taken the initiative and are “running with it.” They hope to make it a true community-wide event.
The board unanimously approved the idea and officially named Feb. 14 as Rockland Kindness Day with a hashtag that they hope goes viral: #KindnessRockland2020.
The students at Memorial Park are now promoting the day in several ways.
On Jan. 28, with the help of WRPS Radio and TV director, David Cable-Murphy and led by Memorial Park teacher, Kelsey Holbrook, the fourth grade student leaders taped a song that they had written to promote #KindnessRockland2020. The recording will be broadcast on WRPS TV on Comcast 30 or Verizon 30, as well as on WRPS radio 88.3 FM.
The students also have posters of hearts that they will be giving out and a list of 50 suggestions of how people can be kind to one another. Also, as a school on Kindness Day they will be painting kindness rocks and spreading them around town to be a lasting reminder of the impact that kindness can make.
Other plans include passing out Kindness Cards to Rockland residents and businesses with the hope that they will “pass them forward”. They also have wristbands that they will be passing out. Residents and businesses are asked to share their random acts of kindness and post them on Twitter using the #KindnessRockland2020 hashtag.
Principal Sheehan said, "The students have worked very hard to make Rockland Kindness Day a reality, and their compassion toward others is clear." She said that they hope the day " inspires other students and members of the Rockland community to treat others with kindness and respect, not just on Feb. 14 but beyond."
