Making A Difference: Ridge Park first graders spread kindness messages for World Kindness Day

To celebrate World Kindness Day, first graders at Ridge Park Elementary School wrote encouraging messages about love and kindness, but they didn’t use paper. They painted the messages on rocks. 

 “I wanted to remind people to be kind to me and others,” said first grader Nash Fultonberg.

The children chose their own colors, painted their own designs, and chose words and sayings that would “bring a smile to someone’s face”. 

First grader Jake Stormont liked painting his rock. “I wanted to make it all colors to make me happy,” he said. 

First grade teacher Annie Leaness was impressed with the results. “I enjoyed seeing how thoughtful and creative the students were with their messages and designs,” she said.

To better understand the project, the first grade classes read two stories, Kindness Rocks and Scribble Stones. The children were encouraged to spread positivity by taking their rock home and putting it in a spot outside to brighten the day of someone in the community.