The smiles on the residents’ faces told the story — one of joy and love.
Third-grade students from L.C. Schmitt Elementary School filed one-by-one off the school bus and into the front doors of Silver Oaks Health Campus on Dec. 16, ready to sing their little hearts out to the nursing home’s residents.
Every month, about 100 students in Schmitt Elementary’s Choose Kind Club give up recess once a month to collaborate on a service project that benefits the school or community in some way.
“I love teaching kids ways that they can bring joy to other people,” said Kaity Day, Schmitt Elementary principal. “We talk often about choosing to be kind and choosing love and creating smiles wherever we can. We talk about it daily.”
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This month, counselor and Choose Kind Club coordinator Deb Davis tried to brainstorm an idea for the students that would spread holiday cheer ahead of Christmas.
“What better way than through Christmas carols?” Davis said.
And so, on Dec. 16, third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders traveled to Silver Oaks to accomplish what they set out for — to bring joy to residents’ hearts.
Ahead of their holiday performance, the students rehearsed classic carols like “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Deck the Halls,” and colored holiday-themed pictures to give the residents.
“I think we all could benefit from taking time out and not thinking about ourselves but trying to spread joy to someone else, whether it be big or small, known or unknown,” Davis said. “You don’t have to be in the spotlight to do something kind.”
Davis said she was most interested in seeing both the reactions of the residents and the students.
“I could see where some kiddos have a calling to work in that field, just to see the interaction was so special,” Davis said. “You never know what kind of seed you’re planting or what doors you’re opening.”
Day said choosing kindness is an expectation at Schmitt Elementary, so much so that it’s promoted similarly to academic strategies.
“It means a lot to try to build activities into our school day,” Day said. “This project really spread holiday cheer and happiness. Our kids got a lot out of it. It’s so important to teach our kids that giving back to the community is so important.”
