Today I've got kindness on my heart and mind as I reflect back on my impromptu visit to Westlawn Elementary in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, the home to some incredible Dolphins who are making a huge kindness splash in our world.
The Principal posted this pict on my book's FB page and
Betsy, the mom of two of these darling Dolphins, shared this shot.
This character building is swimming with kindness;
even in the bathrooms, stakeholders are encouraged to be kind.
We arrived on their Glow Run FUNdraiser celebration day;
don't Ms. Emmer and Ms. Huber just ooze school spirit?
Ms. Emmer's fifth-grade superheroes kindly showed us around;
look at that beautiful mural backdrop made from recycled jeans.
Ms. Huber's class gave me this beautiful superhero bracelet ...
before drowning me in kindness and love by singing my song.
This visit to Westlawn blessed me by leaps and bounds;
just look at how joyful this child is as he shares their story.
On the flight to and fro, I enjoyed Lizzy and The Good Luck Girl.
In this touching story of compassion, kindness, and hope, Lizzy finds (and ultimately provides shelter for) Charlotte, a runaway who is wrestling with some significant family changes. A big believer in signs, Lizzy wonders if the four-leaf clover tattoo on Charlotte's hand signifies something special. As they problem solve and connect, a beautiful friendship blooms and grows.
Oh, and there's a fun cat sweater service-learning thread that I totally got because our cat did not care to wear that holiday sweater my sister gave her that one Christmas, at all.
Use this engaging YA novel to challenge your students with questions about the costs and benefits of kindness: Should Lizzy have told someone about Charlotte? Or was it okay to harbor her young friend in secret?
Wanna swim powered by a bit more kindness? Check out this post from my colleague and friend Hans Appel. I'm so honored and grateful to be on his list of kindness ambassadors.
No comments
I really enjoy hearing from my readers; thanks for sharing your reflections with us!