Pershing does 100 acts of kindness for community
Growing up, everyone learns the golden rule "treat others the way you want to be treated." Students at Pershing Elementary have taken things a step further with a mission to achieve 100 acts of kindness.
“We’re not just in charge of educating their brains, we’re in charge of educating their hearts," Pershing fourth-grade teacher Mary Sanders said. "So we are going to work really hard to make good people as they leave us.”
With the help of the Find Your Pride Club, Pershing students are showing kindness in their community. Teachers and club leaders believe it's important for the students to learn empathy through service to the community.
“I feel like you just never know what other people are going through," Pershing fourth-grade teacher Garret McDowell said. "And even the smallest act of kindness can put a smile on their face or just make their day a little bit better. So it's a big focus of ours and our club to make sure that we are always being kind, just to make sure that you're putting that out there because, again, we don't know what others are going through."
The students have helped spread cheer in St. Joseph by making jack-o-lanterns for others, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, serving food at the Open Door Food Kitchen and raising funds for the animal shelter.
“If you give kindness you could get it back, but it’s just nice to have people happy," fourth-grader Rogan Corbet said.
The Find Your Pride Club also is raising funds through Lucky Charm grams to allow students to go to Lafayette basketball games for free.
“This year, we're focusing on help supporting our students get into district games for free so that we have a loud crowd to support our athletes and that they feel like they belong to their school," Sanders said.
While these acts of kindness help the community today, the hope is the children carry these lessons of goodwill into the future.
“Watching them get so excited about going in and helping their community is what our goal is. So planting those seeds that when they get older, hopefully they'll continue that momentum of helping our community," Sanders said.
