By Kim Marzano, Administrative Assistant to the Office of Student Well-Being

As educators, we have a responsibility to teach students how to take action with kindness—both in the classroom and beyond. Kindness, defined as the practice of being friendly, generous, and considerate, is a skill that is learned and then strengthened over time. I am regularly amazed by small acts of kindness, such as someone holding the door for me when I am carrying a heavy load or a student inviting a new classmate to join a club. These memorable acts of kindness happen when we least expect them. While they may seem small, they have a lasting impact. This year, Eastside Prep is focusing on kindness as an extension of Responsible Action, one of the school’s Mission points. Teachers, students, and club sponsors alike are taking a closer look at kindness and intentionally applying it.

Last summer, a group of Middle School educators read Cultivating Kindness by John-Tyler Binfet and was inspired to integrate their learning into this school year. Teachers met frequently in the fall trimester to discuss a new framework for thoughtfully applying kindness in five categories that students focus on each day: group work, preparation, discussion, EICL (equity, inclusion, and compassionate leadership) and belonging, and daily engagement. In and of themselves, these categories are important, and they are enhanced when practiced with kindness.

Teachers are guiding students in practicing kindness through a variety of behaviors, including asking for others’ opinions, thinking before speaking, and apologizing when we interrupt while others are talking. With these behaviors in mind, sixth graders are regularly taking time to reflect on how kindness impacts their academic journey, which has evolved considerably. For example, in advance of student-teacher conferences in October, students reflected on how kind behaviors were shown in the classroom. Students also co-created the visual representation of this framework called “The Umbrella of Kindness,” which is on display in the Middle School Spanish classroom.

In addition to classroom reflections focusing on kindness, a subset of Middle School students in the Kindness Club are replicating these efforts beyond the classroom through acts of service in our community. Now in its fourth year, this enthusiastic group of seventh graders enjoys gathering to take action, extending kindness in their school community and beyond. Halfway through the school year, Kindness Club students have already identified three of their favorite initiatives: 1) creating a stylish Kindness Box and inviting all Middle School students to drop notes into it, 2) hosting the Giving Tree Holiday Program, which benefited Friends of Youth, and 3) developing the Pen Pal Project.

When surveyed, students reported that the Pen Pal Project is their absolute favorite. While there has been previous interest in pen palling, the Pen Pal Project was finally developed this year in collaboration with the Talus community in Issaquah. Kindness Club students have been exchanging letters with senior citizens who live in this retirement community. As part of the letter exchange process, students are learning to read cursive writing, sharing tidbits about their lives, and learning what people do when they retire. I delight in watching students light up when they receive a letter in the mail. This project embodies kindness by providing opportunities for students to put themselves in others’ shoes, slow down and think about their lives before responding in their next letters, and engage with others who are different from themselves. Through the Pen Pal Project, Kindness Club students are doing an exemplary job of extending kindness out into our community.

As the sponsor of the Kindness Club, I am privileged to witness the students’ efforts and enthusiasm. While there are numerous moments that make my heart sing, my favorite experience this year happened just before Winter Break. The Kindness Club planned on wrapping fifty holiday gifts for Mary’s Place, an organization that supports families across Puget Sound. With just two sessions of clubs time, this commitment was a stretch, and students were thrilled to take on the challenge. I served as their DJ and cranked holiday music upon request. You can bet that WHAM! was requested multiple times. Just eight students worked together, wrapping, ribboning, finishing gift after gift. Some students enjoyed wrapping, and others mastered the art of ribboning. I filled in the gaps as needed, ribboning for some gifts and encouraging others who were distracted by noise in the LPC. The holiday season enthusiasm was palpable in the room. I can only imagine that the students’ enthusiasm radiated through the gifts, and their holiday joy was felt all the way into homes where kids eventually unwrapped and enjoyed their gifts.

In addition to acts of service, Kindness Club students are also interested in finding ways to be kinder to new students here on campus beyond the walls of their classrooms. Recently, the students explored ways to extend kindness to those sitting alone at lunch or others unsure which club to attend. During the discussion, Maddy (’31) reminded us that when students are new to a friend’s group or club, it can be difficult and scary to join in because well-developed groups hold an invisible cohesion that is difficult to understand, let alone step into. Ayla (’31) also shared that often, friend groups have inside jokes or other preexisting connections that can make it challenging for new members to feel welcome. Kindness Club students collectively agreed that when they notice a new student at lunch or during clubs time, they will be brave and kindly invite them to join them, while taking extra time to get to know new students. The skill of welcoming new students into friend groups matters. As Middle School students practice kindness, the quality of student life is improved.

Eastside Prep is prioritizing kindness this year and our not-so-random acts of kindness are making a difference. Whether students are learning about kindness through reflection in Advisory, creating kindness umbrellas, writing letters to individuals in our community, or being giddy while wrapping gifts, these are essential building blocks for developing responsible action for our Middle School students’ lives. Being kind has far-reaching implications in our world. Please join us as you embody kindness in your world and continue talking with others about kindness and how essential it is both in the classroom and beyond.